EU, 14 nations reaffirm 2016 South China Sea ruling

AP, MANILA The US, the UK and a dozen other Western and Asian countries yesterday reasserted that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea are illegal based on a 2016 arbitration ruling.A joint statement issued by the 14 nations said they rejected “destabilizing” actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional stability. The 27-nation EU released a separate statement, reaffirming the ruling as a “landmark decision in the peaceful settlement of disputes.” People attending a conference in Manila on Friday pass by an electronic board showing areas of the disputed South China Sea during a conference to mark the 10th anniversary of a 2016 South China Sea arbitration. Photo: AP The statements commemorated a July 12, 2016, arbitration ruling by a tribunal established in The Hague und