US, UK and 12 other nations reaffirm 2016 ruling invalidating China’s claims in South China Sea

The US, UK, and 12 other nations reaffirmed the 2016 arbitration ruling invalidating China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, rejecting actions deemed destabilizing. China, which refused to participate in the 2013-2016 arbitration initiated by the Philippines, continues to dispute the ruling and claims historic rights to most of the sea.