Japan, U.S., 12 other nations affirm 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling

Japan, the Philippines, the United States and 11 other countries on Sunday reaffirmed an international arbitral ruling 10 years ago that invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims in the South China Sea and described them as having "no legal basis."In a joint statement, the countries described the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as "a significant milestone" and one that is "final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims" addressed by the tribunal.On July 12, 2016, the tribunal ruled that Chin…READ FULL ARTICLE