China’s claims under nine-dash line contrary to UNCLOS: Hague tribunal

The PCA said on July 12 that China’s claims to historic rights for waters within the nine-dash line are contrary to the 1982 ​UNConvention on the Law of the Sea (Photo: BBC)

The PCA issued, in the afternoon of July 12 (Vietnam time), the ruling on the case brought by the Philippines against China’s nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea (known as the East Sea by Vietnam). This is the first international ruling regarding South China Sea disputes.

The PCA said China has caused permanent and irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem at the Spratly (Truong Sa) archipelago, and that it also has no historic title over waters of the South China Sea.

The Hague Tribunal also finds no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the nine-dash line.

China has interfered with traditional Philippine fishing rights at Scarborough Shoal, the tribunal added.

Despite the international community’s protest, China brazenly claims sovereignty over 80 percent of the South China Sea through the nine-dash line claim. It has also continually reclaimed and constructed an array of infrastructure facilities on artificial islands in the South China Sea.

On January 22, 2013, the Philippines filed a lawsuit with the PCA against China’s claims to sovereign right, jurisdiction and historic rights over waters within the nine-dash line, which run counter to the 1982 UNCLOS and exceed the limits of China’s maritime entitlements under the convention.