The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.

Ten years after the Hague’s landmark tribunal ruling, Beijing’s island-building strategy has effectively eclipsed the 2016 decision, observers say.

The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.