Ambassador ENDO attends the Symposium on the 9th Anniversary of the Arbitral Award on the South China Sea

On 11 July 2025, Ambassador ENDO Kazuya attended a symposium organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ADRi) to commemorate the 9th Anniversary of the Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.

Nine years have passed since the issuance of the Arbitral Tribunal’s award between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China regarding the South China Sea. The symposium provided a platform for foreign ambassadors to the Philippines and other experts to deliver speeches and exchange views on the South China Sea.
In his speech, Ambassador Endo expressed Japan’s opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion which threaten regional peace and stability in the South China Sea. He also expressed serious concern about the claims inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Furthermore, Ambassador Endo stated his strong hopes that the parties’ compliance with the award would pave the way for the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea.

Japan will continue working in coordination with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries concerned to maintain and strengthen the maritime order based on the rule of law, and to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).


Speech of Ambassador ENDO Kazuya at the Symposium on the 9th Year of the Arbitral Victory