A Vietnamese coast guard ship watches a Chinese coast guard vessel sailing near the area of China's oil drilling rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea. (HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images)

The U.N. Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled July 12 that there is no legal basis for China to claim historical rights to resources in parts of the South China Sea encompassed by what it calls its nine-dash line. The court also clarified its definition of and stance on exclusive economic zones. The rulings are significant, given that maritime disputes in the Pacific Rim greatly determine the balance of power in the region. To help shed light on the importance of the court's most recent decisions, Stratfor has compiled the following list of analyses covering the progression of conflict in the South China Sea. Click here to continue reading…