Where to now in South China Sea?
Predictably, China reacted furiously to the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) decision handed down on 12 July against its maritime claims in the South China Sea.
In its 501-page report the tribunal found Beijing violated 14 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provisions, six international regulations preventing collisions at sea and one general rule of international law.
One cannot blame China for wishing to protect national interests. Indeed, the US does precisely the same by refusing to ratify UNCLOS, all the while advising China to abide by the same rules. Nevertheless, China’s besmirching of an international
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