14 Nations Reject China’s South China Sea Claims

Manila: The United States, the United Kingdom and 12 other countries on Sunday reaffirmed that China’s claims in the South China Sea were illegal, citing a 2016 international arbitration ruling.

In a joint statement, the 14 nations rejected what they described as “destabilising” actions in the disputed waters and stressed that the tribunal’s decision was final and legally binding. The European Union, in a separate statement, termed the ruling a “landmark decision in the peaceful settlement of disputes”.

“We reaffirm the Arbitral Tribunal's decision that there is no legal basis for China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on 'historic rights',” the joint statement said.

The ruling, delivered on July 12, 2016, by a tribunal in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), had largely favoured the Philippines and held that there was no legal basis for China’s claims beyond areas recognised under the convention.

China rejected the position, with its foreign ministry stating that the ruling was “null and void and has no binding force” and that Beijing “neither accepts nor recognises it”.

“China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards,” the ministry said, adding that it did not accept third-party dispute settlement mechanisms.

China had declined to participate in the arbitration initiated by the Philippines in 2013 following a standoff in the disputed waters.

The joint statement said, “We reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region.”

The countries also said, “Freedom of navigation and overflight as well as other internationally lawful uses of the sea as reflected in UNCLOS” must be upheld, and called for disputes to be resolved peacefully under the 1982 convention.

The South China Sea remains a key global trade route and a flashpoint involving competing claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Recent years have seen repeated confrontations, including the use of water cannons, lasers and blocking manoeuvres by Chinese vessels against forces and fishing fleets of rival claimant countries.

The United States has repeatedly urged China to comply with the arbitration ruling and has said it remains committed to defending the Philippines under existing treaty obligations in the event of an armed attack.