The Philippines and 13 other countries reaffirm on Sunday that China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea lack legal basis, marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling. In a joint statement, the participating governments say the award rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines regarding maritime entitlements. The statement reiterates that there is no legal basis for Beijing’s claims. Countries endorsing the position include Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, alongside the Philippines. The governments frame the reaffirmation as support for the arbitral decision’s legal effect, rather than as a change to existing positions. The outlets report that the countries use the anniversary to reiterate the same core findings about the award’s binding nature and the absence of legal support for China’s asserted maritime entitlements.