Upholding Rule of Law: Necessary Measure to Solve South China Sea Issue
Photo: Baoquocte On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague (Netherlands) ruled that China’s claims of historic rights within its so-called “nine-dash line”, which covers more than 80% of the South China Sea, are completely baseless and illegitimate according to the 1982 UNCLOS. The ruling also marks an important milestone to solve the South China Sea issue by peaceful means, and simultaneously affirms the paramount role of international law in dispute settlement. The international community lauded the PCA’s ruling. 40 countries have been reported to announce their support for the arbitration publicly. Then-United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all parties to resolve their disputes in the South China Sea in a peaceful and amicable manner, through dialogue and in conformity with international law. The US stated that the PCA’s ruling was “an important contribution to the common goal of peaceful resolution” of the disputed issues