LONDON, July 12 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Estonia,Germany, Italy,Japan, Latvia, Lithuania,New Zealand,the Republic of the Philippines, Romania,Slovenia,and the United Kingdomon the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Philippines-China South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award:
We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacificthat is peaceful, stable, and rules-based, anchored in international law,and commemorate the 10th anniversary of theJuly 12, 2016,Arbitral Tribunal'slandmarkand unanimousdecisionon the South China Seaconstituted under Annex VII ofUNCLOS.
We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully andinaccordance withUNCLOS.We reaffirm thattheAwardrenderedtenyears agoby the Arbitral Tribunalisa significantmilestoneandisfinal, legally binding,anddefinitivebetweenChina and the Philippineswith respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by theArbitralTribunal.
We reaffirm the Arbitral Tribunal's decision that there is no legal basisfor China's expansive maritime claimsinthe South China Sea, including those based on "historic rights".We underscore the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as otherinternationallylawful uses of the sea,as reflected inUNCLOS.
We reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateralactionsincluding by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region.We reaffirm our strong opposition to the use of coast guard,military,and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations by otherStates at sea or in the air, and in so doingendanger the safety ofpersonnel and fishermenandseriously degrade regional peace and security.We urgethe partiestoabide by the 2016Award andresolve disputes peacefully through dialogue and otherlawful mechanismsin accordancewithinternational law.
Weremainsteadfast in our supportfora free and open Indo-Pacificandreiterate our commitment topromotingour shared vision withASEAN oftheSouth China Seaas a sea of peace,stability, cooperation, andprosperitydriven byvibrant lawful commerce.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
