MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines thanked the G7 bloc of developed nations for rejecting China’s “baseless and expansive” claims in the South China Sea and calling on China to cease its “illegal activities” in the sea.
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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed the statement of the G7 foreign ministers on April 19 reiterating their “commitment to the rule of law and to the rules-based maritime order anchored on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
The DFA was also gratified by the G7’s “reaffirmation that the 2016 Arbitral Award is a significant milestone and a useful basis for the peaceful management and resolution of differences at sea.” —DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN