 |
| China's illegal construction activities in Subi reef of Vietnam claimed Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago |
The final ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the Netherlands on July 12 on the Philippines’s lawsuit against China’s claims in the East Sea is considered an important milestone in efforts to settle disputes in the waters through peaceful measures in line with international law.
After three years of careful consideration, the tribunal, constituted under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), rejected China’s groundless claim of “historic rights” over waters within the “nine-dash line.”
Under the PCA’s judgment, China has no “historic title” over waters in the East Sea. It concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the “nine-dash line”.
 |
| China's illegal construction activities in Subi reef of Vietnam claimed Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago |
The PCA’s ruling also confirmed that none of the features claimed by China in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago was capable of generating an exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In fact, China’s unilateral claim of its “nine-dash line” over many years, as well as its non-stop actions to realise the claim have faced strong objection from the international community. Many countries have provided historical and legal evidence contesting China’s groundless claim. Therefore, the PCA’s ruling serves a legal foundation to confirm that China’s “nine-dash line” is totally baseless.
Read the full story at VietnamNet