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Since China is a signatory to the convention it must respect the verdict even while it had decided to boycott the proceedings. The international community should urge all relevant parties to follow the ruling of PCA.Aug 7, 2016

Arbitration is a procedure in which a dispute is submitted, by agreement of the parties, to one or more arbitrators who make a binding decision on the dispute. In choosing arbitration, the parties opt for a private dispute resolution procedure instead of going to court.

As early as the 1970s, countries began to claim islands and various zones in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which possess rich natural resources and fishing areas.

A US nuclear-powered submarine struck an object underwater in the South China Sea (SCS) on Saturday. A number of sailors on board the USS Connecticut were injured in the accident. None of the injuries were life-threatening, a statement from the US Pacific Fleet said on Thursday.

• The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 479-page ruling14 was overwhelmingly favorable to the Philippines’ position, ruling several elements of China’s claims in the South China Sea unlawful. Key findings of the ruling include: China’s claims to historic rights and resources within its nine-dash line have no legal basis.15

• In its examination of the legality of a historic waters claim, the report notes that numerous claimants in the South China Sea participate in activities that demonstrate that there is not an “effective” or “continuous exercise” of Chinese sovereignty in the region.

• The arbitral tribunal adjudicating the Philippines’ case against China in the South China Sea ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines, determining that major elements of China’s claim—including its nine-dash line, recent land reclamation activities, and other activities in Philippine waters—were unlawful.

• Following Tuesday's ruling, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it "solemnly declares that the [decision] is null and void and has no binding force." Is China Militarizing in the South China Sea?

Its precedent is likely to be felt beyond the South China Sea, but whether it will influence China is open to question. Unlike previous territorial disputes put before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea or International Court of Justice in The Hague, this tribunal did not adjudicate on sovereignty.

China ( PCA case number 2013–19), also known as the South China Sea Arbitration, was an arbitration case brought by the Republic of the Philippines against the People's Republic of China under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concerning certain issues in the South China Sea including...

The arbitral tribunal adjudicating the Philippines’ case against China in the South China Sea ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines, determining that major elements of China’s claim—including its nine-dash line, recent land reclamation activities, and other activities in Philippine waters—were unlawful.

China can no longer justify such claims with reference to UNCLOS. This affirmation of Southeast Asian countries’ land-based maritime resource rights in the South China Sea reflects the geographical fact that their coastlines are much closer to the disputed area than China’s.