Beijing Says South China Sea Case 'A Trap Schemed' By U.S.

forbes.com

On Wednesday, The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague said that it would issue a ruling on July 12 on the Philippines’ case brought against Beijing’s South China Sea claims.

China claims more than 80% of the South China Sea based on what it calls “historical rights.” However, other South China Sea claimants, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia beg to differ, basing their claims largely on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which China ratified in 1992. Taiwan, also a claimant, has similar claims to those of Beijing...

After the Court agreed to hear Manila’s case in 2013, Beijing stated, vehemently, that it would never abide by an unfavorable ruling against it nor agree that the Court has jurisdiction in the matter.

As the date for the ruling draws near, China has scoured the globe looking for support and now claims that as many as 60 countries support its assertion that The Hague has no jurisdiction in the controversial case. However, only eight of these countries have made public statements on China’s behalf, throwing more dispute on a worried Beijing.

In the ensuing three years since the Philippines filed the case, tensions in the troubled body of water have intensified, particularly as China’s land reclamation, and artificial island building on islets and shoals continues almost unabated, bringing the U.S. more heavily involved into the dispute.

The day after The Hague’s press release, Beijing was vehement again that China would not accept its verdict. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said on Thursday that it will not accept a third party dispute settlement or any solution imposed on China.