WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued an historic judgement in the case of The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“After years of careful review, this decision clarifies several important maritime legal issues between the parties.  The judgment is binding on China and the Philippines, and now enters into the larger body of international law.  It will also serve as important precedent, and I hope will encourage other claimants to pursue arbitration in their South China Sea disputes instead of unilateral military action.

“I applaud the Philippine government’s commitment to a peaceful settlement and bringing this case before the court.  It is my hope that all parties will refrain from taking unnecessarily escalatory actions in the wake of this decision. 

“Though the United States takes no position on competing sovereignty claims, we are committed to ensuring this ruling is respected and the principles it represents endure.  We will work with our allies and partners to support the court’s judgement and observe its application by exercising freedom of navigation and overflight everywhere international law allows.  To foster maritime domain awareness and discourage coercion, the United States will continue to promote joint exercises and patrols.

“We are limited in our ability to strengthen international law, however, if we cannot lead by example.  The United States has not yet ratified UNCLOS, despite calls from our top military leaders who agree it will strengthen our national security.  The treaty is the foundation for today’s ruling, and U.S. support for UNCLOS will be critical if we are to be successful in advocating for the rule of law throughout the region. 

“The United States has long been a Pacific power, and with one-third of all global shipping flowing through the South China Sea, regional peace, stability, and freedom of navigation have always been in our national interests.  As the United States rebalances its foreign policy to prioritize this vast region, it is crucial we continue to strengthen a rules-based order that is fair to all countries, regardless of size or military might.”