14 countries declare China's claims to the South China Sea groundless

Japan, the United States, the Philippines, and 11 other countries emphasized in a joint statement that China's territorial claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis. The statement was released ahead of the 10th anniversary of the international arbitration ruling, Reuters reports, writes UNN.

Details

In the document, the countries confirmed that the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration is final and legally binding for China and the Philippines. At that time, the tribunal ruled that Beijing's claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea do not comply with international law.

We confirm that the ruling issued 10 years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is an important milestone and is final, legally binding, and conclusive for China and the Philippines

In addition to Japan, the United States, and the Philippines, the document was also joined by Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, and Slovenia.

China rejected the statement and lodged a protest with Japan

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that Beijing does not recognize the arbitration ruling, calling it a "scrap of paper" that is "illegal, invalid, and has no binding force." It also accused the United States and other external states of increasing their military presence, which, in Beijing's view, provokes tensions in the region.

Furthermore, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported that it summoned Japan's chargé d'affaires in Beijing to protest the Japanese side's statements on the anniversary of the arbitration ruling and the joint statement of 14 countries.

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