U.S., U.K., and 12 other nations reaffirm 2016 ruling invalidating China’s claims in South China Sea
The U.S., U.K., and 12 other nations have issued a joint statement reaffirming the 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. The nations emphasized that the ruling is legally binding and critical for regional peace.
Why it matters
This diplomatic move reinforces international maritime law and challenges China's territorial assertions in a key global trade route.
The United States, the United Kingdom and a dozen other Western and Asian countries reasserted on Sunday (July 12, 2026) that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea are illegal based on a 2016 arbitration ruling.
A joint statement issued by the nations said they rejected “destabilising” actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional peace.
The announcement commemorated a July 12, 2016, arbitration ruling by a tribunal established in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, saying the landmark decision is “a significant milestone and is final, legally binding and definitive.”
China refused to join the arbitration initiated by the Philippines in 2013 after a tense standoff in the contested waters a year earlier that ended with Beijing effectively seizing a disputed shoal.
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