Global Powers Unite Against China’s Maritime Claims in South China Sea

In a united front on the 10th anniversary of a pivotal tribunal ruling, 14 countries including Japan, the Philippines, and the United States denounced China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration favored the Philippines, dismissing China’s sovereignty claims as having no legal basis under international law, a decision Beijing still defies. Despite escalating maritime confrontations and denouncements from numerous countries, China maintains its stance, dismissing the tribunal’s ruling as “waste paper” and urging nations to respect its territorial rights. (With inputs from agencies.)