'Award is final' - Philippines asserts sovereignty on arbitration anniversary

Filipino activists stage a protest on the sixth anniversary of an international tribunal ruling that invalidated China's historical claims in the South China Sea, outside the Chinese consular office in Makati City, Philippines, July 12, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

The Philippines reaffirmed on Tuesday that it had the legal high ground over China in a long-running maritime row, marking the anniversary of an arbitration ruling that concluded Beijing's claim to almost the entire South China Sea was groundless.

Following a heated standoff with China, the Philippines took the bold step in 2013 of lodging a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague seeking clarification of its sovereign entitlements under international law.