TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Fourteen countries, including the US, Japan, and the Philippines, rejected China's South China Sea sovereignty claims Saturday, while Taiwan urged inclusion in regional discussions on maritime issues.
The joint statement marked the 10th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling on the South China Sea case brought by the Philippines against China, per Reuters. The countries said maritime disputes should be resolved peacefully under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The statement, led by the US, said the 2016 ruling was “final, legally binding, and definitive,” Reuters reported. It said the tribunal determined that China's broad maritime claims, including those based on "historic rights," had no legal basis.
It condemned unilateral actions that threaten peace and stability, including the use of force or coercion. It also criticized the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate other countries' lawful maritime and air activities.
The signatories included the US, the Philippines, Japan, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia. The EU also issued a separate statement reaffirming the ruling as a landmark decision for peacefully resolving disputes.
Taiwan's foreign ministry reiterated its four principles on South China Sea issues, calling on all parties to follow international law and resolve disputes peacefully, per Liberty Times. It also opposed unilateral expansion, gray-zone coercion, militarization, and other actions that undermine regional peace.
The ministry said discussions on regional rules of conduct or matters involving Taiwan's interests should include the country's participation to ensure their legitimacy.
The 2016 arbitration case stemmed from a 2012 standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels near Scarborough Shoal, after which China took effective control of the disputed feature, per Inquirer.net. The Philippines filed the case in 2013, but China refused to participate in the proceedings.
The tribunal ruled that China's nine-dash line claims had no legal effect and found that areas within the Philippines' 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone were not subject to Beijing's overlapping claims. It also determined that China's construction of artificial islands and interference with Philippine fishing activities in the Philippines' EEZ breached international law.
Beijing rejected the ruling Sunday, calling it "null and void and has no binding force," per AP. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the arbitration process and decision contravene international arbitration practices and infringed on China's rights as a sovereign state and a UNCLOS member.
