14 Nations Reaffirm 2016 Hague Ruling and Reject China's South China Sea Claims

Key facts

• A group of 14 nations, including the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK), issued a joint statement on July 12, 2026, reaffirming the 2016 arbitration ruling on the South China Sea.
• The 14 signatory countries are the US, UK, Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia.
• The 27-member European Union (EU) issued a separate statement describing the 2016 ruling as a landmark decision for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
• The 2016 ruling was issued by a tribunal at The Hague constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• The tribunal ruled that there is no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources in the South China Sea beyond territorial areas recognised under UNCLOS.
• UNCLOS took effect in 1994 and has been ratified by more than 170 countries and parties, including China and the Philippines.
• China maintained its stance that the ruling is null and void, asserting it has no binding force and is not recognised by Beijing.