With a keen eye on the Philippines’ legal battle with China over territory in the South China Sea, the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced democracies have agreed to send a strong message on the importance of international law in resolving maritime disputes in Asia. Though no individual countries were mentioned, the contents of their declaration at the close of an annual summit appeared to be directed at China. China’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea and militarization of the region has angered some of its Southeast Asian neighbors and sparked fears over threats to freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.

Yap, D. (2016, May 28). G7 sends a strong message to China. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A4.