China said the Hague arbitration ruling — which found China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea inconsistent with international law — is illegal, invalid and non‑binding; China does not accept or recognize it and will not accept any claims based on the ruling. The Philippines said it will continue to push for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and treat the arbitration award as an immutable basis. China called a Code of Conduct a key measure to implement the Declaration on the Conduct

China said the Hague arbitration ruling — which found China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea inconsistent with international law — is illegal, invalid and non‑binding; China does not accept or recognize it and will not accept any claims based on the ruling. The Philippines said it will continue to push for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and treat the arbitration award as an immutable basis. China called a Code of Conduct a key measure to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and a China‑ASEAN consensus, pledged to accelerate consultations with ASEAN to conclude the code, and urged the Philippines not to use the ruling to obstruct its conclusion.