Manila, April 14 -- At the latest round of ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) negotiations in Manila, the Philippines strongly urged strict adherence to international law, particularly the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

On July 12, 2016, an Arbitral Tribunal, constituted under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), made a unanimous, clear, and binding ruling in the South China Sea arbitration between the Philippines and China.

It found that China's claims to historic rights in maritime areas within its dashed line had no legal basis. It also found that China had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights under UNCLOS and that its vessels had unlawfully created risks of collision and danger.

The Philippines also voiced d...