South China Sea ruling risks escalating dispute
The ruling on the disputed territorial claim could escalate the standoff in the South China Sea. (US Navy, Flickr)
This week’s legal decision on a disputed oil- and gas-rich zone in the South China Sea could bring simmering tensions between China and its Asian neighbours to a head. The ruling on the disputed territorial claim could risk a dangerous escalation of the standoff, which in recent years has teetered on the brink of open conflict.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague upheld the Philippines’ claims against China relating to the South China Sea in its ruling on Tuesday. The case was initiated in January 2013 under arbitration procedures set out in Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).