Romania and 14 other countries, including the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, signed a joint statement published on Saturday, July 11, rejecting China’s sovereignty claims over the South China Sea.  The statement marked the tenth anniversary of the Philippines’s victory over China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. At that time, the court found that Beijing's sovereignty claims over the South China Sea had no basis under international law. “We reaffirm that the award rendered ten years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the Arbitral Tribunal,” the statement reads.