US Urges China to Heed South China Sea Ruling

Nine years after a landmark international ruling, the United States is again pressing China to abide by the 2016 decision concerning Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea. The call coincides with the anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) decision under UNCLOS.

International Law Milestone

The U.S. State Department emphasized that the 2016 ruling represents a “milestone in international maritime law” and a cornerstone for peaceful resolutions in the region. The PCA in The Hague had invalidated China’s “nine-dash line” claims, affirming the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Escalating Tensions

Washington voiced concerns over China’s continued actions against Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. China’s increasingly assertive behavior, the U.S. warns, undermines navigational freedom, disrupts global trade, and intensifies Indo-Pacific tensions. Since 2020, China’s coast guard has been the largest in the world, with approximately 150 ships displacing more than 1,000 tons (Council on Foreign Relations).

The State Department statement said, “Since the 2016 ruling, China has ignored the decision, continuing to assert unlawful and expansive maritime claims while taking increasingly aggressive actions against its neighbors. Beijing’s claims directly infringe on the sovereign rights and jurisdictions of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, undermining peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”

US Commitment

The U.S. has reiterated its dedication to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, signaling its opposition to coercion in maritime disputes.

The statement added, “The United States supports a free and open Indo-Pacific. We seek to preserve peace and stability, uphold freedom of navigation and overflight, maintain the free flow of trade, and oppose coercion to settle maritime disputes. The United States calls on China to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling and to cease its dangerous and destabilizing conduct.”

Philippines’ Stand

The Philippines has also renewed its call for China to adhere to the PCA ruling. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stated that the ruling serves as a guide for the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes.

According to the DFA, “It is an illuminating precedent for States facing similarly challenging circumstances in the seas, and the clearest of reminders to the international community that the rule of law can be the great equalizer between and among nations, and serve as the bedrock of peace and stability for the international community.”

China’s Rejection

China has consistently refused to acknowledge the PCA ruling. Over the weekend, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Manila described the UNCLOS ruling as a “political circus dressed up as a legal action.”

The spokesperson added, “The Philippines breached the common understandings with China on resolving the disputes in the South China Sea through consultation and negotiation, violated the article of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) which stipulates parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means,”

The Chinese Embassy further asserted that the UNCLOS exercised its jurisdiction “ultra vires” and that the award rendered to the Philippines is “illegal, null and void.”

The embassy maintains, “China does not accept or recognize it, and will never accept any claim or action thereon.”