Nine years after PCA ruling, US calls out China's defiance in South China Sea

NEW YORK — The United States has renewed its call for China to comply with the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, marking the ninth anniversary of the landmark decision under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The ruling, issued on July 12, 2016 by the PCA in The Hague, found that China’s so-called “nine-dash line” claims had no legal basis under international law. It also reaffirmed the sovereign rights of the Philippines within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The decision is legally binding on both China and the Philippines.

In a statement, the US State Department said the ruling represents a “milestone in international maritime law” and remains a critical foundation for resolving disputes peacefully in the region.

The US highlighted China’s continued harassment of vessels belonging to Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. It warned that Beijing’s increasingly aggressive posture undermines freedom of navigation, threatens the global flow of commerce, and escalates tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

“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,” the statement said.

Washington reiterated its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and underscored its opposition to the use of coercion or intimidation in resolving maritime disputes.

“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,” the statement added.

The anniversary comes amid renewed tensions in the region, with recent encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels near Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) prompting strong reactions from both governments.

The Philippines on Friday renewed its call to China to comply with the PCA ruling, saying all countries, “regardless of size, might, or capacity must meet their duties and obligations” under international law.

On Saturday the Philippines said the nine-year-old arbitral ruling has since served as a guide in peaceful resolution of maritime territorial disputes.

“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,” the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

China has repeatedly refused to recognize the PCA ruling and said it does not accept any claim or action based on the ruling.

Over the weekend, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed that the UNCLOS ruling was a "political circus dressed up as a legal action."

“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,” it said.

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

“China does not accept or recognize it, and will never accept any claim or action thereon,” it said. —KG, GMA Integrated News