'No legal basis': US, EU and 13 nations reject Beijing's South China Sea claims
Fourteen nations, led by the United States, have issued a joint statement reaffirming that China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea lack legal basis under international law. This statement marks the 10th anniversary of a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that favored the Philippines, which Beijing continues to reject.
Why it matters
The South China Sea is a critical global trade route and a source of significant natural resources, making the ongoing legal and territorial disputes a major flashpoint for international relations and regional security.
Fourteen countries, led by the United States, on Sunday reaffirmed that China's expansive claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis under international law, marking the 10th anniversary of a landmark arbitration ruling that Beijing continues to reject.In a joint statement, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia said the July 12, 2016 ruling by an arbitral tribunal constituted under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) remains "final, legally binding and definitive".
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