The bold claims and equally bold actions of China regarding its territory in the South China Sea is finally falling under international legal scrutiny, as the International Criminal Court finally begins hearing a case filed by the Philippines regarding China's territorial claims.
Manila initially filed the case in 2013, with the country seeking to enforce its rights over the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. The zone was defined under the United Nations convention on the Law of the Sea, according to Reuters.
The zone is also part of a body of water through which a U.S. $5 trillion ship-borne trade passes every year.
China however, refuses to acknowledge the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, arguing that its "nine-dash-line," a historical claim which grants a huge portion of the South China Sea to China, must be honored instead, reports Channel News Asia.
Paul Reichler, the lawyer representing the Philippines in the ICC hearing, believes that the court would ultimately rule in the Philippines' favor. "The Philippines believes the court has jurisdiction over all the claims it has made," he said.
China, however, has steadfastly refused to participate in the hearing, arguing that the country does not accept the court's jurisdiction. China has further argues that the dispute was not covered by the ICC due to the conflict being a matter of sovereignty, not exploitation rights.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying relates the Asian superpower's position. "China opposes any form of arbitration process proposed and promoted by the Philippines," she said.
Despite China's refusal to cooperate, Reichler believes that the case must go on. Though the court has no power to enforce its ruling, its decisions are binding nonetheless.
