Scarborough Shoal —The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has passed a final judgment on the case that the Philippines unilaterally brought before the PCA concerning, among other issues, the legality of China’s “nine-dash line” claim over the South China Sea under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both the Philippines and China […]
Category: Territorial Dispute
Philippines wins arbitration case vs. defiant China
It has finally been decided that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign right to the West Philippine Sea and that China’s “nine-dash line” is invalid, according to the United Nations (UN) Arbitral Tribunal.
PERRYSCOPE by Perry Diaz
High stakes in the South China Sea: On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), in a unanimous decision, delivered a “triple whammy” to China. In a press release, it said that the Arbitral Tribunal ruled that “there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea […]
Why the South China Sea arbitration case matters for the Philippines by Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz
We just learned the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the proceedings initiated by the Philippines against China in 2013. We would like to bring attention to the importance of this arbitration case, not only for the parties involved, but also for the international community.
Philippines wins arbitration case vs. defiant China
The arbitration court in The Hague has finally ruled in favor of the Philippines The Tribunal said there is no legal basis in China’s historic claims and that it violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines China is now under international pressure to accept the ruling or face the possibility of being branded an international […]
Two US carriers patrol West Philippine Sea (USNI News)
Two US aircraft carrier groups have started operations in the Philippine Sea, in what the Philippine government said was a demonstration of Washington’s “ironclad commitment” as the world awaits a ruling by a United Nations tribunal on Manila’s petition to invalidate China’s so-called nine-dash line in the South China Sea.
“Are you with us or are you not with us?” by Erick San Juan
A question raised by President Rodrigo Duterte to US Ambassador Philip Goldberg in a recent meeting in Davao City. Amb. Goldberg answered, “Only if you are attacked.”
‘Sabah will continue to be part of Malaysia’
Sabah does not acknowledge any claim by the Philippines on the state and will maintain the stand, said Chief Minister Musa Aman.
South China Sea: Cooperation or Confrontation? by Erick San Juan, PhD
‘Cooperate where we can; confront when we must.’ — Strong words from U.S. Pacific Navy commander Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. last June 4 during the 15th annual International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit in Singapore.
Filipino protesters, one American sail to Scarborough Shoal; harassed by China
They sailed to the disputed shoal in protest of China’s illegal claims. The group belongs to “Kalayaan Atin Ito.” (This is our Freedom.) Kalayaan Atin Ito was the same group that sailed to Pag-asa Island (Thitu) in the South China Sea in December last year.
Tensions heat up in the South China Sea by Perry Diaz
The biggest and hottest topic in geopolitical circles today is World War III, or to be more precise… where will World War III start? But if you ask Pope Francis, he’d probably say what he said several months ago: World War III has already begun, at least in a “piecemeal fashion.”
Why is the South China Sea dispute so crucial?
In this excerpt from “Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea And The End Of a Stable Pacific,” author Robert D. Kaplan, chief geopolitical analyst for Stratfor and former member of the Pentagon’s Defence Policy Board, explains how the region’s unique geography fosters aggression.