[EAI Memo] Clear Ruling, Murky Future: the South China Sea Dispute Following the UNCLOS Tribunal Ruling
2016-07-15
EAI Memo
Clear Ruling, Murky Future: the South China Sea Dispute Following the UNCLOS Tribunal Ruling
"Ruling Expected to be a Turning Point, But in Which Direction?"
An arbitration tribunal convened by the Philippines and rejected by the Chinese finally issued a ruling on the nature of Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea and on the status of several features claimed by both countries. The ruling is considered to have invalidated many Chinese assertions in the region and declared the resources in the waters around the Spratly Islands to belong to the Philippines. China has long warned that it would reject the tribunal's decision, but such a clear cut loss for the Chinese may trigger rising tensions in the region. Can this ruling encourage dialogue and peace in the region or will it lead to rougher seas?
