Manila thanks G7 for denouncing Beijing's 'coercive actions' in South China Sea

March 26, 2025 | 5:27pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has welcomed a joint declaration from the foreign ministers of major advanced economies condemning the use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.

In a statement on Wednesday, March 26, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) acknowledged the Group of Seven (G7)'s objection to "illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions" in the region, noting their "consistent expression of concern" over increasingly aggressive maneuvers used against Philippine vessels in the tense waterways.

The G7 ministers' rebuke of China's maritime actions was expressed in a March 14 joint declaration on maritime security that is separate from the main communique. 

The bloc's top diplomats last issued a separate pledge on addressing maritime security issues in 2016, after a meeting in Hiroshima, Japan.

The G7 ministers are composed of the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union. They released their statements following a two-day meeting in Canada.

Philippines thanks G7's consistency on South China Sea

"We appreciate the G7's consistent reaffirmation that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is the legal framework for governing all activities in the oceans and the seas," the DFA said. 

The department also expressed gratitude for the G7 bloc's "consistent acknowledgment" of the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea. Beijing has consistently refused to recognize this ruling.

The Philippines also noted the G7's position against unilateral actions that cause permanent changes to the marine environment.  

"We also acknowledge the G7’s pronouncements on the importance of coastal states refraining from unilateral actions that cause permanent physical change to the marine environment, including land reclamation and the building of outposts, and attempts to change the status quo by the establishment of new geographical facts," the department said.

The DFA reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to a "free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific region" and its vision of the South China Sea as "a sea of peace, stability and prosperity."

The Philippines "will continue to call for the cessation of interference, obstruction and harassment of the Philippines' legal activities within our recognized maritime entitlements," the department said.

What the G7 maritime declaration said. The G7 declaration on maritime security specifically called out China's actions in the South China Sea, expressing "deep concern over the growing risks to maritime security" and condemning China's "illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions that seek unilaterally to alter the status quo."

The declaration, spanning at least 18 paragraphs, expressed the foreign ministers' concerns about actions that "risk undermining the stability of regions, including through land reclamations, and building of outposts, as well as their use for military purpose."

The G7 ministers explicitly referenced the 2016 arbitral ruling, stating that it "is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties."

The ministers also committed to "implement means through which to track systematically and report on attempts to change the status quo by force and by the establishment of new geographical facts." 

The declaration also extended beyond South China Sea issues and addressed global maritime security more broadly. It flagged freedom of navigation across the Taiwan Strait, the Red Sea and the Black Sea.

The ministers noted that over 80% of global trade is transported by sea and that disruptions to maritime routes pose a direct threat to international food security and economic stability.