DFA Statement on the Joint Statement of the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting

MANILA 03 July 2025 – The Philippines welcomes the Joint Statement of the Quad Foreign Ministers on 01 July 2025 that expressed serious concern on the situation in the South China Sea.

By highlighting the continuing dangerous and provocative actions, and the use of force and coercion in the South China Sea, the Quad Foreign Ministers has kept focus on the incidents that the Philippines has regularly contended with in the West Philippine Sea. Their statement demonstrates the strong objection by the international community against such illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. It also underscores the need for the firm adherence to international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which remains the legal framework within which all activities in the ocean and seas must be carried out.

We highly appreciate the Quad Foreign Ministers' unequivocal support for the final and valid 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, further cementing its status as an unassailable part of the corpus of international law. Nine years hence, the Arbitral Award has served as a shining affirmation of the dispute settlement mechanism under UNCLOS, and has been cited by ITLOS and the ICJ in their respective legal issuances. Such a landmark ruling under international law deserves full compliance in furtherance of the peaceful settlement of disputes.

We also welcome the Quad's commitment to build capacities across the Indo-Pacific region, especially on maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and support for humanitarian assistance and emergency response.

Desiring to maintain regional peace and stability in the South China Sea and in the wider Indo-Pacific, the Philippines will continue to uphold the rules-based order governed by international law, particularly UNCLOS, and will continue to prioritize effective diplomacy and the constructive management of differences in addressing the situation at sea. END