South China Sea Arbitration 2016

The South China Sea arbitration (Philippines v China) was an UNCLOS Annex VII proceeding, with the Permanent Court of Arbitration as registry, whose award of 12 July 2016 rejected China’s nine-dash-line claim to historic rights as incompatible with the Convention. The tribunal held that none of the Spratly features generates an EEZ under Article 121(3), that China had unlawfully interfered with Philippine fishing and petroleum rights, and that its island-building damaged the marine environment. China refused to participate and rejects the award.