China slams 14-nation backing for 2016 South China Sea ruling

Beijing,UPDATED: Jul 12, 2026 21:04 IST

China on Sunday denounced a joint statement by a 14-nation coalition led by the United States and the Philippines, which reaffirmed support for the 2016 international tribunal ruling that invalidated most of Beijing's claims in the South China Sea. Beijing said the countries had "blatantly endorsed" an illegal "award".

The coalition, which also included US allies such as Japan, Australia and Britain, said it remained committed to a rules-based, free and open Indo-Pacific. It described the 2016 decision by the tribunal in The Hague as a "significant milestone" that was "final, legally binding, and definitive", and said there was no legal basis for China's sweeping maritime claims, including those based on historic rights.

In a statement, China's Foreign Ministry said the country's sovereignty and related rights and interests in the South China Sea were established over the course of history and were firmly grounded in law. "China's activities in the South China Sea are fully legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. China's rights in the South China Sea can by no means be denied by the makeshift 'arbitral tribunal'," it said.

The ministry also said that in issuing the "award", the tribunal had exceeded its authority and abused its jurisdiction. "The 'award' is naturally illegal, null and void, and has no binding force," it said, adding that "China neither accepts nor recognises the 'award', and opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it".

The five-judge tribunal, appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, had ruled on a petition filed by the Philippines in 2016. It struck down Beijing's claims of historic rights to resources within sea areas covered by the 'nine-dash line'. China claims most of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. Rejecting China's claim over 90 per cent of the South China Sea based on historic rights, the tribunal said Beijing's position was incompatible with the exclusive economic zones provided for under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The 14-nation statement also said, "We reaffirm our strong opposition to the use of coastguard, military and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations by other states at sea or in the air, and in so doing endanger the safety of personnel and fishermen and seriously degrade regional peace and security," the South China Morning Post quoted it as saying.

Responding further, China's foreign ministry said the joint statement wrongly portrayed Japan as a "legitimate stakeholder who uses the South China Sea" and said China "strongly deplores and firmly opposes it". "Japan is not a party in the South China Sea and is in no position to pass judgment on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea," it said.

The exchange underlined the sharp differences over the South China Sea, with the 14 nations backing the 2016 ruling and China repeating that it rejects the tribunal's decision and any claim or action based on it.

With PTI Inputs

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