FOURTEEN NATIONS REAFFIRM 2016 RULING AGAINST CHINA'S SOUTH CHINA SEA CLAIMS

Fourteen nations issued a joint statement Sunday reaffirming the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that rejected China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, marking the 10th anniversary of the Philippines-China arbitration award. The statement, published by the U.S. State Department and reported by the Associated Press, said the tribunal's award is final and legally binding on both the Philippines and China. The countries said the ruling remains a key legal reference point for maritime rights, obligations and conduct in one of the world's most contested waterways.

The statement was issued by the United States, the United Kingdom and 12 other Western and Asian countries. The Associated Press reported that the European Union also joined in reaffirming support for the ruling. The statement said the 2016 award found no legal basis for China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including claims based on "historic rights." The tribunal's ruling came after the Philippines brought a case challenging China's claims and conduct under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, known as UNCLOS.

The joint statement said the award clarified the maritime entitlements of features in the South China Sea and rejected China's broad historic-rights argument. That finding remains central to disputes involving China, the Philippines and other claimants because Beijing continues to assert claims over virtually the entire waterway. The South China Sea is a major global trade route and a frequent flashpoint for confrontations involving coast guard vessels, fishing boats, military ships, aircraft and maritime militia forces. The statement did not create a new legal ruling, but it was intended to reinforce the existing one at a time of continued maritime tension.

The countries also expressed 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. That language reflects repeated confrontations in recent years between Chinese vessels and Philippine ships near disputed reefs and shoals. The Associated Press reported that the statement criticized destabilizing conduct including coercive tactics by China's coast guard and maritime militia. Those criticisms are the position of the issuing governments.

Freedom of navigation and overflight were also central to the statement. The countries said they underscored the importance of freedom of navigation, freedom of overflight and other internationally lawful uses of the sea under UNCLOS. Those principles matter because the South China Sea is not only a regional territorial dispute. It is also a global shipping and security corridor used by commercial vessels, naval forces and aircraft from many countries. The statement links the 2016 ruling to a broader rules-based maritime order in which countries may exercise lawful rights without coercion.

China has consistently rejected the 2016 ruling. Beijing has called the arbitration award "illegal, null and void" and has said it does not recognize the tribunal's authority. China continues to assert broad claims in the South China Sea despite the tribunal's finding that there is no legal basis for historic-rights claims beyond maritime entitlements allowed under UNCLOS. The joint statement reflects the view of the issuing countries; the rejection of the award remains the position of the Chinese government.

The timing of the statement matters because tensions between China and the Philippines have remained high. Manila has repeatedly accused Chinese vessels of aggressive actions near disputed areas, while Beijing has accused the Philippines and its partners of provocation and infringement on Chinese sovereignty. The United States has also reiterated that its defense commitments to the Philippines apply in the South China Sea under the U.S.-Philippines mutual defense treaty. The joint statement does not by itself change conditions at sea, but it signals that the arbitration award remains a diplomatic and legal rallying point for countries opposing China's maritime claims.

The next developments to watch are whether China issues a formal response to the 14-nation statement, whether the Philippines uses the anniversary to pursue additional diplomatic action, and whether new incidents occur near disputed reefs, shoals or patrol areas. For now, the confirmed public record is that 14 nations have reaffirmed the 2016 arbitration award as final and legally binding, rejected legal grounds for China's expansive historic-rights claims, and warned against coercive maritime conduct in the South China Sea.

Fact-check date: 12 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: U.S. State Department joint statement marking the 10th anniversary of the Philippines-China South China Sea arbitration award; Associated Press reporting on the 14-nation statement; Manila Bulletin reporting on the statement and China's response.