China rejects renewed international support for a 2016 South China Sea arbitral tribunal ruling, according to reports from Times of India and NDTV. The tribunal concluded that China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis. Beijing says the award is “illegal,” “null and void,” and has no binding force. Both outlets report that 14 countries reaffirm the ruling’s finality and their commitment to a rules-based Indo-Pacific, and that they backed the view that the decision should be respected. Times of India also notes that China objects to Japan’s participation in the joint statement, suggesting friction over who is involved in the coordinated international messaging. The two articles describe the dispute as continuing despite the 2016 decision, with China maintaining its position that the tribunal lacked legitimacy. No change in China’s stance is reported, and the international group’s support is presented as reiteration of the tribunal outcome rather than a new decision.