– The Japanese Foreign Ministry on Sunday issued a statement to mark the 5-years anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s 2016 ruling on the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam).

The statement said, “As the Tribunal’s award is final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the parties to this case, the Philippines and China, are required to comply with the award.”

The statement emphasizes that China’s noncompliance with the ruling “is against the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, in particular UNCLOS, and undermines the rule of law as a fundamental value of the international community.”

All maritime claims must be based on the relevant provisions of UNCLOS, it said, adding that Japan renews its objection to maritime claims in the South China Sea that are inconsistent with UNCLOS.

Japan reiterates its strong opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion and will continue working in coordination with ASEAN and other countries concerned to maintain and strengthen the maritime order based on the rule of law, and to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to the statement.

Source: VOV5