Rubio to China: Abide by 2016 arbitral ruling on West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — Nine years after the historic arbitral ruling that upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, the United States has called on China “to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling and to cease its dangerous and destabilizing conduct.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized China’s continued defiance of the ruling, its assertion of “unlawful and expansive maritime claims,” and its aggressive actions toward neighboring countries.

“Beijing’s expansive claims directly infringe on the sovereign rights and jurisdictions of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, and undermine peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Rubio said in a statement on Saturday.

READ: West PH Sea: Recent US-PH-Japan sea drills viewed as ‘counter-China’ effort

He also pointed out that the 2016 arbitral ruling was a “significant milestone and useful basis” to resolve disputes over the South China Sea.

The West Philippine Sea is the portion of the South China Sea that lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos)

On July 12, 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled that Beijing’s expansive nine-dash-line claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis, a ruling China has rejected.

Rubio said the United States is supporting a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” as it aims to preserve peace and stability and prioritize freedom from maritime disputes.

“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,” he added.

READ: 9 years after arbitral ruling, China still defies PH sea claims

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teresa Lazaro on Friday also expressed concern on China’s rejection of the 2016 ruling, emphasizing that it “persists with illegal, coercive, and aggressive actions under cover of a revisionist, self-serving interpretation and application of international law, particularly Unclos."

To continue asserting the Philippines’ rights and upholding international law, Lazaro said the country will make use of the Foreign Ministry Consultations, the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, and the Bilateral Consular Consultations Mechanism with China to sustain dialogue and diplomacy at appropriate official levels./mcm

(2025/07/13-10:35)

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