South China Sea joint statement says China's maritime claims have no basis

China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea have ​no legal basis, Japan, the Philippines, the United States ‌and 11 other countries said in a joint statement on Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary of a landmark international tribunal ruling.

The Philippines ​won the 2016 case at the Permanent Court of ​Arbitration that found China's sweeping claim of sovereignty in ⁠the South China Sea had no basis under international ​law, a decision that Beijing continuously rejects.

"We reaffirm that the award ​rendered 10 years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding and definitive between China and the Philippines," ​the joint statement said.

The Philippines and China have been ​involved in a series of maritime confrontations in recent years.

Manila accuses ‌Beijing ⁠of "dangerous manoeuvres" inside its exclusive economic zone.

Besides Japan, the Philippines and the United States, parties to the joint statement include Australia, Britain, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, ​Romania and Slovenia.

​China's foreign ⁠ministry on Sunday reiterated the country's sovereignty claims, blaming intensified military deployments by outside powers including ​the U.S. for tensions in the South China ​Sea.

"The ⁠so-called award is nothing but a piece of waste paper that is illegal, null and void, and has no binding force," ⁠the ministry ​said in a statement.

It called ​on relevant countries to respect China's territorial and maritime rights and stop actions ​that undermine regional stability.

-Reuters