South China SeaPaul Reichler insists on 10th anniversary that ruling's legal force is as strong as everChinese coast guard vessels fire water cannons at the Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah in May 2024. The Philippine ship was on a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. © ReutersAKIRA KITADOJuly 10, 2026 08:33 JSTTOKYO -- Beijing's actions in the South China Sea over the past decade have weakened the practical impact of the 2016 arbitration ruling that rejected the communist country's claims to much of the disputed water but not its legal force, according to the Philippines' lead lawyer in the landmark case.