Fourteen nations united on Sunday to reinforce the legal validity of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award, declaring that Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims lack international legal backing and calling for peaceful resolutions to maritime friction.
Marking the a decade since the landmark decision, the Philippines, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia issued a joint declaration championing a rules-based, free, and open Indo-Pacific.
”We reaffirm that the Award rendered ten years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the Arbitral Tribunal,” the statement read.
The collective stance aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s ongoing defense of the 2016 ruling, where he has maintained that global legal standards—rather than economic clout or military power—must dictate how maritime disputes are settled. Under the current administration, the Philippines treats the award as non-negotiable.
The alliance echoed the Hague tribunal’s conclusion that China’s expansive “nine-dash line” and historical claims hold no legitimacy under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
”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 statement said.
While the Permanent Court of Arbitration solidified Manila’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea on July 12, 2016, Beijing has continuously dismissed the verdict and rejected the court’s jurisdiction.
Without explicitly naming China, the signatory countries condemned coercive actions that threaten regional stability, referencing ongoing maritime standoffs involving water cannons, aggressive blocking maneuvers, and regular disruptions of Filipino resupply and fishing missions.
”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 statement read.
The nations further slammed the deployment of military assets, coast guards, and maritime militias to disrupt lawful operations.
”We reaffirm our strong opposition to the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations by other States at sea or in the air, and in so doing endanger the safety of personnel and fishermen and seriously degrade regional peace and security.”
Urging compliance with the ruling, the 14 nations called on all involved parties to engage in lawful dialogue to protect freedom of navigation and overflight as dictated by UNCLOS.
”We urge the parties to abide by the 2016 Award and resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue and other lawful mechanisms in accordance with international law,” the statement said.
The declaration concluded with a pledge to support ASEAN’s vision of transforming the disputed waters into a zone of economic prosperity and cooperation.
”We remain steadfast in our support for a free and open Indo-Pacific and reiterate our commitment to promoting our shared vision with ASEAN of the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperity driven by vibrant lawful commerce.”
This joint statement follows a fresh wave of international backing for Manila, coming on the heels of President Marcos’ diplomatic visit to Canada, where Ottawa solidified its support under a newly minted strategic partnership.