Philippines welcomes ruling; Taiwan objects

Manila

THE Philippines welcomes a ruling by a United Nations-backed tribunal on Tuesday that declared that China has no "historic rights" in the South China Sea, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said, even as he urged restraint.

"The Philippines welcomes the issuance today... on the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines with regard to the South China Sea," he told reporters minutes after the court in The Hague released its verdict.