14 nations reaffirm 2016 ruling against China’s South China Sea claims
7 reported
The United States, United Kingdom, and 12 other Western and Asian countries issued a joint statement on Sunday reasserting that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea are illegal, based on a 2016 arbitration ruling. The statement, commemorating the July 12, 2016, decision by a tribunal established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, called the ruling “a significant milestone” that is “final, legally binding and definitive.” The nations rejected “destabilizing” actions in the disputed waters and opposed the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass or intimidate other states. China did not immediately respond Sunday, but in a recent statement through its embassy in Manila, Beijing said it would never recognize the 2016 ruling, calling it “illegal, null and void.” The joint statement was issued by the U.S., UK, Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia.
What’s reported
The joint statement was issued on Sunday, July 12, 2026, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitration ruling.
The ruling was made by a tribunal established in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The statement reaffirms that there is “no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on ‘historic rights.’”
The 14 nations include the U.S., UK, Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia.
China refused to join the arbitration initiated by the Philippines in 2013 after a tense standoff in 2012.
The Chinese embassy in Manila stated the ruling “will not alter the historical and factual basis for China’s sovereignty over the islands of the South China Sea and their adjacent waters.”
The statement opposes “destabilizing or unilateral actions including by force or coercion” and the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass or intimidate.
Sources: abcnews.com
