Tribunal slams Chinese claims to disputed South China Sea region Thomas Maresca and Kirk Spitzer
An international tribunal issued a sweeping condemnation Tuesday of China’s claims and conduct in the disputed South China Sea, setting the stage for further escalation of tensions in the region.
China said it did not recognize the ruling, which it described as “null and void.” The case was brought by the Philippines over China’s vast territorial claims and island-building in the region.
The ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, is the first to address competing claims among a half-dozen countries.
The panel said any historic rights to resources that China may have had were invalid if they are incompatible with exclusive economic zones established under a United Nations treaty.
The tribunal also ruled that China caused “irreparable harm” to the marine environment, “unlawfully” interfered with fisher- men from the Philippines, and engaged in a land-reclamation and island-building campaign that is “incompatible” with international obligations.
“The award is null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognizes it,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday.
“China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards,” the ministry said. “China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards.”
China has claimed virtually all of the South China Sea, a crucial waterway used for an estimated $5 trillion in annual trade. China’s claims are based largely on a vaguely drawn map.