New Delhi, July 14, 2026
Emphasising the importance of freedom of navigation, overflight and lawful maritime commerce in accordance with international law, India on Tuesday reiterated that disputes in the South China Sea must be resolved peacefully under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Addressing a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the arbitral tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea, delivered 10 years ago, marked an important milestone and serves as the foundation for the peaceful settlement of disputes between the concerned parties.
Responding to a question on a joint statement issued by the US and several other countries marking the 10th anniversary of the ruling, Jaiswal said, “Our position on the South China Sea issue is well known. We emphasise the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law as reflected in UNCLOS. We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with UNCLOS and reiterate that the award rendered 10 years ago by the arbitral tribunal is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.”
Twelve countries, led by the United States and including key Indo-Pacific partners, reaffirmed their commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and defended the rules-based international order, marking the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that rejected China’s sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea.
In a joint statement, the governments of the United States, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, stable, and rules-based, anchored in international law.”
The statement commemorated the July 12, 2016 decision by the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), describing it as a “landmark and unanimous decision” on the South China Sea.
“We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with UNCLOS,” the statement said.
The 12 governments also reaffirmed that the award issued a decade ago “is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the Arbitral Tribunal.”
The countries reiterated the tribunal’s finding that “there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on ‘historic rights’.”
They also underscored “the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as other internationally lawful uses of the sea, as reflected in UNCLOS.”
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes and is claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The competing claims have led to repeated confrontations involving coast guard and naval vessels, making the waterway a major strategic flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific.(Agency)
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