Japan has called on China to respect international law, marking exactly ten years since a landmark legal ruling rejected Beijing’s vast maritime claims in the South China Sea.
The 2016 arbitral award, decided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is final and legally binding for both the Philippines and China. However, a decade after the decision, tensions remain high as China continues to reject the ruling.
In an official statement, the Japanese government stressed that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive claims in the region. Japan criticized Beijing’s ongoing refusal to accept the decision, warning that ignoring international law hurts global rules and undermines the peaceful settlement of disputes.
While Japan praised the Philippines for consistently following the ruling and trying to resolve the conflict peacefully, it raised serious concerns about growing security risks. Over the last ten years, unilateral actions to change the region by force or pressure have actually increased. Japan strongly opposes these actions, pointing out dangerous behavior that threaten free navigation and flights, the building of military bases on disputed islands, and the creation of a unilateral “Nature Reserve” in contested areas.
As a major user of these vital shipping lanes, Japan stated that the stability of the South China Sea is a legitimate concern for the entire international community. To keep the region free and open, Tokyo is expanding its maritime cooperation with neighboring countries by providing official development and security assistance, while boosting partnerships with regional coast guards and defense authorities. Japan pledged to keep working closely with the United States, Southeast Asian nations, and other global partners to uphold the international rule of law.
