After centuries of dispute, China has lost its claim over contested maritime regions in the South China Sea after an international tribunal in The Hague chiefly backed in favour of the Philippines.
It is a decision that will increase global diplomatic pressure on Beijing to scale back military expansion in the sensitive area.
By depriving certain outcrops – some of which are exposed only at low tide – of territorial-generating status, the ruling effectively punches a series of holes in China’s all-encompassing “nine-dash” demarcation line that stretches deep into the South China Sea. It declares large areas of the sea to be neutral international waters.
Beijing claims 90% of the South China Sea, a maritime region believed to hold a wealth of untapped oil and gas reserves and through which roughly $4.5tn of ship-borne trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also contest China’s claims to islands and reef systems closer to their territory than Beijing’s.
If you live in east Asia we’d like to hear what the ruling means for you. Do you accept the decision? What do you think should happen now? Perhaps you are a navigator or work in the fishing industry and have made use of the Spratly Islands in the past. Or maybe the topic is a subject of conversation in your daily life.
You can share your thoughts and experiences by filling in our form below. We will feature some of your contributions in our ongoing reporting.
