After a series of hearings, the long wait is over.The United Nations (UN) Arbitral Tribunal declared the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) under the sovereign rights of the Philippines.
According to the Tribunal, China’s historic rights claim within the Philippine sea parameters has no legal basis, making the “nine-dash line” invalid. The Chinese government didn’t attend any proceedings conducted by the Tribunal in an effort to not recognize the case.
The Tribunal added that China was incapable of spawning an economic zone. Moreover, the country has violated the Philippine sovereign rights by doing the following: interfering with the country’s fishing and petroleum exploration, building artificial islands and failing to stop their fisherman from fishing within the Philippine economic zone.
Furthermore, the Tribunal stated that Chinese vessels had unjustly sparked a serious risk when they obstructed Philippine vessels. The Chinese insisted that they have historical rights of owning the area believed to be abundant in natural gas resources. China’s unlawful activities have alarmed other nations in Southeast Asia.
Filipino citizens expressed their joy about the Tribunal’s decision.
