14-nation South China Sea statement is an expansionist overreach

AI Summary

A coalition of 14 nations including the US, Philippines, Australia, and several European countries issued a statement marking the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea ruling at The Hague, urging compliance with the ruling as a cornerstone of international order. The statement highlights ongoing tensions and disputes over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

On July 12, a coalition of 14 nations – the United States, Philippines, Australia, Canada, Britain, Japan, New Zealand, and seven European states including Germany, Italy and the Baltic nations – issued a statement marking the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea ruling at The Hague in 2016. The document recycled familiar arguments, urging compliance with the ruling and framing it as a cornerstone of the rules-based international order. But beneath it lies a fundamental disconnect from...