China claimed that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration ruling which it called illegal "has become a stumbling block" in its relations to the Philippines as 14 nations, led by the United States and Japan, issued a joint statement on the 10th year anniversary of the Arbitral Tribunal Award on Sunday.

"In the ten years since the "ruling" was issued, it has not only failed to resolve maritime issues between China and the Philippines, but has also become a tool for the Philippines to expand its territorial and maritime claims, exacerbating regional conflicts and providing an excuse for external forces to intervene in the South China Sea issue and stir up the situation," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China said in a statement.

"It has become a stumbling block affecting China-Philippines relations and peace and stability in the South China Sea. If the standards of the "ruling" are followed, many countries' islands and reefs will lose the basis for claiming maritime rights," it added.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China issued the statement after 14 countries including Japan, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Republic of the Philippines, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America issued a joint statement to commemorate the 10 anniversary of the Arbitral Tribunal ruling on July 12.

In its joint statement, the 14 countries reaffirmed "that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) UNCLOS" and "that the Award rendered ten years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the Arbitral Tribunal."

"We reaffirm the Arbitral Tribunal’s decision that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on “historic rights”. We underscore the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as other internationally lawful uses of the sea, as reflected in UNCLOS," it stated.

"We reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region," the joint statement noted.

"We reaffirm our strong opposition to the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations by other States at sea or in the air, and in so doing endanger the safety of personnel and fishermen and seriously degrade regional peace and security. We urge the parties to abide by the 2016 Award and resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue and other lawful mechanisms in accordance with international law," it added.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stressed that "the continued hype by certain countries regarding the illegal "ruling" is inconsistent with the general trend of regional peace and stability and runs counter to the aspirations of regional countries and peoples for development and prosperity."

"Their attempts are doomed to failure. We urge relevant countries to earnestly respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, stop provoking trouble in the South China Sea, and stop undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea," it added. Robina Asido/PHS