A joint statement from 13 countries, including Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, has rejected China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, stating they have no legal basis.
The statement, released on the 10th anniversary of a landmark international tribunal ruling, reaffirms that the award rendered ten years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines.
The Philippines won the 2016 case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which found that China’s sweeping claim of sovereignty in the South China Sea had no basis under international law. China has continuously rejected the decision.
Besides Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, parties to the joint statement include Australia, Britain, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, and Slovenia.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
