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The UN tribunal in Hague ruled that there is no legal basis to back China’s claim of almost entire South China Sea. It handed a diplomatic rebuke to China’s efforts to assert control over almost 85 percent of the South China Sea demarcated by the nine-dash-line on Chinese maps, saying that there is no historical basis for that claim. Other claimants of the territory are Philippines, who took to the international court, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
According to official news agency Xinhua, Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeated Beijing’s stance that the South China Sea has been Chinese territory since the ancient times and said China’s territorial sovereignty and interests in the region would not be influenced under any circumstances by the ruling. Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the US, has accused the tribunal of exceeding its authority by moving beyond maritime law into trying to resolve territorial disputes, which he has described as “professional incompetence” and “a matter of questionable integrity”. Many a time, even before the ruling was done, the Chinese government has said that the court has no legitimacy, whereas the United States has heavily stressed that China needs to abide by the international law or face a wall of isolation.
Despite China’s rhetoric, top officials in the Obama administration feel that China should be given all the opportunity to walk itself back from the ledge and they detect a desire from the Chinese side to ease off. In addition to that, the ruling has opened up the possibility of a diplomatic solution.
It is very much likely that Beijing will use its economic prowess and power to defy the court ruling and cut a side deal with Philippines.
