By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — Poland has affirmed that China is obligated to comply with the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, giving renewed international attention to the landmark ruling that clarified key Philippine maritime rights and entitlements in the disputed waters.
The Polish position was reported on September 16, 2026, as the Philippines continues to invoke the arbitral award as a legal foundation for its position in the West Philippine Sea.
The 2016 ruling was issued by an arbitral tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It rejected the legal basis of China’s sweeping claim to historic rights within the so-called nine-dash line and clarified the maritime entitlements of several features in the South China Sea.
The Philippines has consistently maintained that the award is final and legally binding between Manila and Beijing with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the tribunal.
China, however, continues to reject the ruling and maintains that it does not recognize or accept the tribunal’s decision.
Poland’s position adds another European voice to international statements emphasizing compliance with international law in the South China Sea.
The development comes two months after the 10th anniversary of the arbitral award, which was marked by a joint statement from 14 countries, including the Philippines, reaffirming that the ruling remains final, legally binding and definitive between the Philippines and China on the matters covered by the tribunal.
For Manila, the award remains a central reference in asserting Philippine maritime rights and in calling for disputes in the West Philippine Sea to be addressed through UNCLOS and other applicable rules of international law.
The continuing dispute underscores the gap between the legal position established by the 2016 ruling and China’s refusal to recognize it—leaving the award at the center of the Philippines’ diplomatic and maritime position in the West Philippine Sea.
ia/xf
