China’s Claims To South China Sea Invalidated

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States, the United Kingdom and a dozen other Western and Asian countries have reasserted that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea are illegal. The joint statement issued by the nations Sunday reaffirms a 2016 arbitration ruling and rejects “destabilizing” actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional peace. The statement by the 14 countries and a separate one by the European Union commemorate a July 12, 2016, arbitration ruling by a tribunal established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. China refused to join the arbitration initiated by the Philippines in 2013 and rejects the 2016 ruling.