China loses arbitration but wins control of S China Sea

A YEAR after China lost an arbitration case brought against it by the Philippines under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea regarding their dispute in the South China Sea, China has emerged the victor in real terms as it flouted the Arbitral Tribunal's decision and the Philippines, under President Rodrigo Duterte's government, did an about-turn by adopting a policy of cooperation with Beijing.

Meanwhile, Vietnam - another country with territorial claims in the South China Sea - has bowed to China's superior might after threats from Beijing, and ceased oil exploration activities in an area within its exclusive economic zone.

Little wonder, then, that last month, a year after the arbitration case, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, Geng Shuang, declared: "With the concerted efforts of China, the Philippines and other Asean countries, the situation in the South China Sea has stabilised and taken on a good trend."