Taiwan should not be excluded from any discussions involving its rights and interests or regional codes of conduct in the South China Sea, and all parties should jointly uphold regional peace and stability. That came from the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, July 12, following a joint statement by 14 countries, including the Philippines, the United States, Japan, and Australia, on the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration ruling against China, in a case brought by the Philippines.

On July 12, 2016, an international arbitration tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in a case against China regarding the latter’s claims over maritime areas in the South China Sea. The tribunal noted it would not rule on sovereignty nor maritime boundaries but deemed China’s historic rights claims as having no legal effect unless entitled to under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The 14-country joint statement said that the ruling is legally binding and that China’s claims in the South China Sea based on historic rights have no basis in international law.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry reiterated in a press release that the Republic of China (Taiwan)’s sovereignty claims over the South China Sea islands and its related policies remain unchanged. Taiwan holds four principles on South China Sea issues: disputes should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, Taiwan should be included in multilateral dispute resolution mechanisms, countries have an obligation to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and Taiwan is willing to work with other countries on the basis of equal consultation to jointly promote regional peace and stability and collectively protect and develop South China Sea resources.