Thirteen countries allied with the Philippines collectively urged China to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling, which they declared was “final, legally binding, and definitive,” in the face of Beijing’s persistent disregard for the landmark decision. 

The call comes as Manila marked the 10th anniversary on Sunday of the historic arbitral award handed down by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that unanimously dismissed China’s sweeping claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Romania issued the joint call. 

The nations reiterated that China’s maritime claims, particularly the nine-dash line, in the vast waters of the South China Sea (SCS) were already invalidated and that Beijing must abide by them in accordance with the UNCLOS. 

“We reaffirm the arbitral tribunal's decision that there is no legal basis for China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on ‘historic rights’,” the joint statement reads. 

While China is a signatory to the UNCLOS, similar to the Philippines, Beijing has been headstrong in its refusal to honor the arbitral ruling, deriding it as “illegal,” “null,” and “no binding effect” on China.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila maintained that the award “is nothing but a piece of waste paper that Beijing will neither accept nor recognize 

“Ten years on, China's position on the South China Sea remains as clear, consistent, and firm as ever.

Regardless of how some choose to distort facts or misinterpret international law, China's position has never wavered,” the embassy said in a Facebook post Sunday. 

Despite China’s brazen dismissal of the ruling, the group of countries supportive of Manila’s position asserted that the decision was “final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the arbitral tribunal.”

In addition, they also strongly opposed the “use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations” regardless of whether at sea or air, which “seriously degrade[s] regional peace and security.” 

Manila also has the robust backing of several countries in its relentless push for its independent and maritime rights in the WPS, although they were not part of the joint statement.

The Philippines and China have kept their friendly ties despite their longstanding maritime dispute. 

Although the two nations forged a pact to de-escalate tensions in the contested waters of SCS in January 2024, China remains aggressive through the use of water cannons, military-grade lasers, and by deploying missiles against Philippine troops and vessels.

The Philippines and China have long been embroiled in a maritime row over Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in almost the entire SCS, including areas that overlap with the WPS.

The 2016 arbitral ruling invalidated China’s nine-dash line claims over the vast majority of the SCS, asserting that it has no legal basis under international law.

Senators mimic call

Senator Risa Hontiveros, a staunch critic of Beijing, argued that the celebration of the 2016 ruling became more significant due to the expanded territorial claims of Chinese scholars over Batanes, which she believed was part of the “Chinese government’s propaganda.” 

Chinese academics have gone so far as to claim that Batanes belongs to China. This is a grave insult to every Ivatan, to every Filipino, and further proof of how deeply the Chinese government’s propaganda has taken root in its own people.

“China’s disinformation campaigns are exactly why the Arbitral Award matters, not only as a landmark ruling etched in the annals of history, but as a shield against those who systematically spread lies,” she asserted on Sunday.

The claims of the Chinese academics during a recent symposium at Jinan University drew protests and criticisms for claiming that Batanes, the Philippines' northernmost island province, is a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan.

Hontiveros joined critics in lambasting the scholars’ maritime claims, pointing out that it was not only an affront to the Philippines but “a grave insult to every Ivatan”, an Austronesian ethnolinguistic group residing in Batanes.

Due to this, Senator Erwin Tulfo emphasized the urgent need to pass into law the proposed “West Philippine Sea Education Act,” requiring the mandatory teaching of the 2016 arbitral ruling and the country’s maritime rights to young Filipino learners in the face of China’s misinformation.

“Baseless claims that certain parts of the Philippines belong to other countries should not be given credence and must be repelled on all fronts. We will continue to stand firm, defend our territory, and protect what rightfully belongs to the Filipino people,” Tulfo pointed out.

If left unchallenged, Tulfo warned that China may expand further its illegal claims over the vast waters of the Philippines. 

Similar bills were filed in the House of Representatives but remained pending at the committee level.