Rallies In Manila Over The South China Sea Dispute (Photo : Getty Images)
The international ruling is out and is in favor of the Philippines but China remains indignant and rejects the decision that "trampled" the laws per a Chinese editorial.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has released its ruling on the arbitration case on the South China Sea maritime dispute in favor of the Philippines.
However, China maintains its position and expressed its firm opposition to the ruling that state-run media Xinhua News deemed "ill-founded" and called the Permanent Court a "law abusing tribunal."
Key Points of the Ruling
A report from the South China Morning Post highlights some of the major points that the international ruling presented on Tuesday.
First, the ruling rejected China's infamous nine-dash line that Chinese authorities said were based on ancient maps, saying that the country does not have any legal basis on the claim.
Apparently, there was no proof that China controlled the territory or its resources "exclusively" and that the historic rights and entitlements of Beijing in the waters had no connection to sovereignty.
Next, the court ruled that there are no Spratlys islands and that the landforms in the area are legally known as "rocks" because none of them could sustain a community or any economic activity.
The ruling also states that the rocks were dependent from resources from outside which means they cannot be considered "islands." Because of this, none of the "rocks" can be considered an exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In addition, only those with nearby major islands can draw EEZs to this area, something that China does not have.
The court also said that China violated the Philippines' sovereign rights when it established artificial islands and installations in the Mischief Reef which is covered within the archipelago's EEZ.
Also, China is deemed to be in interference with the Scarborough Shoal when Chinese law enforcement vessels tried to stop Philippine fisher folk from approaching.
Other points in the ruling include the Chinese reclamation that the court deemed harmful to the environment, threatened endangered species, and brought harm to coral reefs.
China Bites Back
Immediately after the ruling was made public, Chinese media immediately published a response, particularly from the country's leaders.
According to a report from Xinhua, Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping both rejected the ruling.
Xi said that the country "has always been a guardian of international rule of law and of fairness and justice" while Li explained that by rejecting the ruling, China is actually "safeguarding the international law."
While China declined to acknowledge the international ruling, both leaders of the country reiterated their willingness to undergo bilateral talks with involved parties to peacefully settle the South China Sea disputes once and for all.
