Philippines wins arbitration case vs. China over South China Sea / West Philippine Sea.
Manila Philippines – The permanent court of arbitration in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a maritime dispute which concludes that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to the bulk of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
It has finally been decided that the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) rightfully belongs to the Philippines nullifying the “9 dash line” claim of China.
“The Tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line.’” the statement said.
“Having found that none of the features claimed by China was capable of generating an exclusive economic zone, the Tribunal found that it could—without delimiting a boundary—declare that certain sea areas are within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, because those areas are not overlapped by any possible entitlement of China,” it added.
In a ruling Tuesday July 12, 2016, the tribunal also found that China had interfered with Philippine petroleum exploration at Reed Bank, tried to stop fishing by Philippine vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone, and failed to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing within the Philippines’ EEZ at Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal.
The Tribunal also found the none of the sea features claimed by China were capable of generating an Exclusive Economic Zone which gives country maritime rights to resources such as fish, and oil and gas within 200 nautical miles of that land mass.
Chinese fisherman had also killed endangered sea turtles and giant clams “on a substantial scale” with the full knowledge of China, the tribunal found.
Philippines filed its case in January 2013 following the tense standoff between Chinese and Philippines ships at Scarborough shoal in April 2012.
China’s reclamation activities have alarmed other Southeast Asian nations that also have competing claims in the West Philippine Sea.
Because China had no rights to the area as an Exclusive Economic Zone, the tribunal found that some of its activities in the region were in breach of the Philippines’ sovereign rights.
#WestPhilippineSea #WestPHSea #UNCLOS #PhilippineEEZ #CHexit #PHwins
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