14 nations reaffirm support for Hague ruling rejecting China's South China Sea claims
Fourteen countries, including the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom, on Sunday reaffirmed the validity and binding nature of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling as. . .
Fourteen countries, including the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom, on Sunday reaffirmed the validity and binding nature of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling as they observed the 10th anniversary of the landmark decision that struck down China’s expansive maritime claims. In a joint statement issued on July 12, the governments of the Philippines, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and the United States described the arbitral award as a “significant milestone” in the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes under international law. The statement commemorated the July 12, 2016 decision of the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which ruled in favor of the Philippines in its case against China over competing claims in the South China Sea. The signatories stressed that the ruling remains “final, legally binding, and definitive” between the Philippines and China regarding the maritime claims and entitlements addressed by the tribunal. “We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with UNCLOS,” the countries said. The joint statement also reiterated the tribunal’s conclusion that there is no legal basis for China’s broad claims in the South China Sea, including claims based on so-called “historic rights. ”“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 read. The countries cited the importance of preserving freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea guaranteed under UNCLOS by describing these principles as essential to regional peace, trade, and stability. The signatories likewise expressed strong opposition to unilateral actions and coercive measures that threaten security in the Indo-Pacific region. They specifically opposed the use of coast guard vessels, military assets, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful maritime and aerial operations conducted by other states. The countries said such actions place the safety of personnel and fishermen at risk and undermine regional peace and security. “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,” the statement said. The group called on parties involved in disputes in the South China Sea to comply with the 2016 arbitral award and settle disagreements peacefully through dialogue and other lawful mechanisms under international law. The countries also reaffirmed support for a free and open Indo-Pacific and endorsed the vision shared by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of the South China Sea as a region of peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperity. The 2016 arbitral ruling, issued by a tribunal in The Hague following a case initiated by the Philippines, invalidated China’s so-called nine-dash line claim and clarified the maritime entitlements of several disputed features in the South China Sea. China has consistently rejected the ruling and refused to recognize the tribunal’s jurisdiction, while the Philippines and several of its allies continue to cite the decision as a cornerstone of the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific. #