Fourteen Governments Mark a Decade Since the South China Sea Ruling China Still Rejects

Ten years after an international tribunal in The Hague ruled against China's expansive maritime claims, Japan and a group of governments reaffirmed the decision. They stressed that the 2016 award "is final, legally binding and definitive" between China and the Philippines, The Japan Times reported.

Fourteen governments joined the statement, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and the Philippines, according to the text released by the United States Department of State. They reiterated the tribunal's finding that there is no legal basis for China's claims based on so-called historic rights, and Philippine outlet Philstar reported that ambassadors in Manila used the anniversary to press for closer maritime cooperation.

Beijing's position is unchanged. China has consistently rejected the ruling, calling it a political exercise it does not accept, and continues to assert its claims across the waterway. The dispute over one of the world's busiest trade routes therefore remains unresolved a decade on, with each side citing a different basis of legitimacy.