The Straits Times of Singapore, in an article published on July 13, wrote: "On the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration case, the United States has abandoned its previous practice of issuing statements unilaterally, instead joining forces with 14 countries including the Philippines, Japan, and Australia to issue a joint statement reaffirming that the relevant ruling is final, legally binding, and decisive. China responded by stating that the ruling is an illegal, invalid, and non-binding piece of paper, becoming a 'hindrance' to the peace, stability, and bilateral relations between China and the Philippines regarding the South China Sea (known as the South China Sea in China), urging relevant countries to stop 'inciting trouble'."
The joint statement involving 14 countries on the "South China Sea arbitration case," reported by The Straits Times, is essentially a political maneuver characterized by loud noise but little substance.
By shifting from its past practice of acting alone, the United States has rallied 13 other nations to issue a joint declaration, which may appear imposing at first glance but ultimately reveals the true nature of geopolitical manipulation.
In this list of 14 countries, apart from the Philippines, the remaining 13—including Estonia and Latvia located far away in the Baltic Sea—are not coastal states of the South China Sea. These countries, geographically distant and far removed from the region, participating in South China Sea affairs is fundamentally a transactional exchange—supporting the U.S. position in return for American military security commitments in regions such as Eastern Europe.
What truly matters is not the 14 countries that have spoken out, but the vast majority that remain silent. Key ASEAN members such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore did not participate, and South Korea maintained its cautious stance. This silence itself conveys a clear message: regional nations understand that external interference only intensifies tensions, and the optimal path to resolving South China Sea disputes lies in direct negotiations among the parties directly involved.
As the sole claimant state with coastlines bordering the South China Sea, the Philippines seeks to leverage its role as ASEAN chair in 2026 to force the illegal ruling into multilateral agendas. However, this so-called "ruling" has failed to resolve any dispute; instead, it has become a tool for expanding claims and escalating tensions, serving as a 'hindrance' to China-Philippines relations. Within ASEAN, the so-called 'arbitration' has effectively turned into a one-sided performance by the Philippines. Overreliance on external powers not only fails to gain regional consensus but also risks leaving the Philippines increasingly marginalized in regional development.
This contest at the 10-year milestone, ostensibly a 'condemnation' by 14 countries against one, actually exposes the fragility of the legal foundation within the U.S.-led bloc and the lack of regional consensus. The key variable moving forward lies in the critical 2026 deadline for advancing the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. China is actively accelerating consultations with ASEAN countries through concrete actions to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. The facts demonstrate that pressuring China with a 'piece of paper' will not work, nor will undermining regional stability through bloc confrontation be welcomed by the people.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870565904789568/
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