In a big setback to China and its attempts for geopolitical dominance in Asia. The judgment of an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favour of claims by the Philippines on the South China sea, ignoring Beijing’s claims. This will definitely increase global diplomatic pressure on Beijing to scale back military expansion in the vexed issue.
The tribunal also said that Beijing had violated international law by “causing severe harm to the coral reef environment” and by failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from harvesting endangered sea turtles and other species “on a substantial scale.”
“It’s an overwhelming victory. We won on every significant point,” the Philippines’ chief counsel in the case, Paul S. Reichler, said after the decision was announced. “This is a remarkable victory for the Philippines.”
The regional powers are worried that China will react to the decision by accelerating efforts and increase the military action. It will assert control over the South China Sea, which includes important commercial trade routes with ⅓rd of of sea traffic.
However the China has already rejected the verdict, “China does not accept or recognise the ruling the by the UN backed tribunal,” a Chinese official said.
The verdict also is a victory for Asian countries including India and Japan that have taken a position that the south china sea issue should be dealt according to the law of the seas and freedom of navigation, needs to respected. In the past Beijing has aggressively pursued shipping vessels from other countries warning them that they were in the Chinese territory.