International Rejection of China’s South China Sea Claims

Fourteen countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have reaffirmed that China’s extensive claims over the South China Sea are unlawful. This stance aligns with a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling. A joint statement was released by these nations on Sunday, explicitly rejecting China’s destabilizing actions in the disputed waters, which threaten regional stability.

The European Union, representing 27 countries, separately labeled the ruling as a pivotal moment for peaceful dispute resolution. These announcements mark the anniversary of the 2016 decision from a tribunal in The Hague, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ruling is described as final and legally binding.

China, however, reiterated on Sunday that the ruling is void and carries no binding force. Beijing neither accepts nor acknowledges the outcome, having refused to participate in the arbitration initiated by the Philippines in 2013 after a tense maritime standoff. Despite the 2016 ruling, China continues to assert its claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, a crucial global trade route, sparking ongoing territorial disputes with nations like the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

A spokesperson for the joint statement affirmed that there is no legal basis for China’s broad maritime claims, including historical rights. The tribunal ruled largely in favor of the Philippines, stating that China had no legal grounds to claim rights over resources outside its recognized territorial areas. The Convention, widely seen as the governing treaty for the world’s oceans, came into force in 1994 and has been ratified by over 170 nations, including China and the Philippines.

The joint statement, also supported by countries such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, and others, emphasized opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions threatening peace and stability in the region. They denounced the use of coast guard and military forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate legitimate operations by other states, noting the dangers posed to personnel and fishermen and the serious threats to regional peace and security.

The emphasis on maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight, along with other lawful maritime uses under international law, remains clear. Territorial disputes should be peacefully resolved based on the 1982 UN convention, they asserted.

China’s Foreign Ministry declared that the tribunal’s ruling contravenes general international arbitration practices and severely undermines China’s legitimate rights as a sovereign state. They stressed that any claims or actions based on the ruling are unacceptable to Beijing, which rejects any imposed solutions.

Territorial confrontations in the disputed waters have intensified over recent years, with frequent skirmishes involving Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese forces and fishing fleets. The Chinese coast guard and support vessels have used water cannons, military lasers, and dangerous blocking maneuvers against Filipino forces, leading to high-sea collisions and risky aerial encounters.

The United States has consistently urged China to comply with the arbitral ruling. Both President Biden’s and former President Trump’s administrations have signaled that the U.S. is obliged to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, in case of armed attacks on Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft in disputed waters.