Wang Yi clarifies China's position on the "South China Sea Arbitration Case"

On July 11, 2025, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, stated China's position on the "South China Sea Arbitration Case" when attending the annual series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia Cooperation in Kuala Lumpur. Wang Yi said that the "South China Sea Arbitration Case" unilaterally initiated by the Philippines failed to fulfill the necessary prerequisites for full conferral in advance, violated the principle of consent of the parties as the basis for arbitration, and did not have the legal elements for initiating arbitration in the first place. The Philippine move violates the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea on the peaceful settlement of disputes through friendly negotiation by the countries directly concerned, reneges on the commitments made by the Philippines in the bilateral agreement between China and the Philippines, and violates the norms of international law "prohibiting estop