South China Sea: U.N. Tribunal Rules Against China

July 12, 2016 | 09:09 GMT

The U.N.-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled July 12 that there is no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources in parts of the South China Sea encompassed by China’s so-called “nine-dash line.” China’s historic rights were extinguished with its ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, according to the ruling. The court also found that none of the Spratly islands are capable of sustaining human habitation in a natural state and thus do not qualify for exclusive economic zones (EEZs). The court clarified that habitation means a “stable community of people.” Notably, the court ruled that Taiwan-controlled Itu Aba, the largest and most developed of the disputed high-tide land features in the Spratly archipelago, is likewise only a rock and not entitled to an EEZ. In response, China rejected the ruling, calling the court law-abusing and the award ill-founded. The Philippine government said it welcomed the ruling but urged restraint. The ruling will not stop Beijing from pursuing its interests in the region.