{VOA NEWS ONLINE} – In a landmark ruling, the U.N. arbitration court is dismissing China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, saying it has “no historic title” to the vast maritime region.
Tuesday’s ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration answers a complaint brought by the Philippines in 2013 that accused Beijing of violating the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with its aggressive actions on the Scarborough Shoal, a reef located about 225 kilometers off the Philippine coast.
Chinese President Xi Jinping rejected the ruling and said “China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea” will not be affected. China’s foreign ministry said on its website, “The award is null and void and has no binding force.”
The court said Beijing’s claim of virtual sovereignty over nearly all the South China Sea under a so-called “nine-dash line” runs contrary to UNCLOS, which sets a country’s maritime boundaries 22 kilometers from its coast, and control over economic activities up to 370 kilometers from its coast. The court ruled China had violated Manila’s sovereign rights by interfering with Philippine fishing and oil exploration activities in the area. READ MORE OF THIS STORY
