Philippines Marks 10th Anniversary of 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Ruling

The Philippines on Friday commemorated the 10th anniversary of a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the disputed South China Sea. The ruling was issued on July 12, 2016, by a tribunal established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea after the Philippines initiated proceedings in 2013.

China refused to join the arbitration and rejected the decision as a sham.

Beijing continues to defy the ruling and defend its claims to virtually the entire sea passage, a key global trade route. Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said Thursday the ruling is legally binding and compared it to a lighthouse. “When the waters grow turbulent, when unilateral claims cloud the horizon and when the shadow of coercion looms, nations need something far more permanent than political convenience,” Lazaro said.

The arbitration tribunal ruled that under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources in the South China Sea outside of its regular territorial areas recognized under the convention. The convention took effect in 1994 and has been ratified by more than 170 countries and parties, including China and the Philippines.

The United States has repeatedly called on China to comply with the ruling. Both the former Biden administration and the current Trump administration have warned that Washington is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, vessels or aircraft come under armed attack in the disputed waters.

Territorial confrontations in the disputed waters have become more prevalent in recent years, particularly between Chinese and Philippine and Vietnamese forces and fishing fleets.