MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Friday that he has received a report that China had recently brought in new barges to disputed areas in the Scarborough Shoal, wondering aloud if there is any new construction about to take place there, but said he will not initiate multilateral discussions on the South China Sea at […]

Coral rubble remains after “chopper” boats killed branching corals, which were subsequently further broken up by storm waves of blast fishing. John McManus/Rosenstiel School, University of Miami Just over a month ago, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued two important rulings. One soundly rejected Beijing’s extensive claim of sovereignty in the South […]

There is now a consensus among practitioners and analysts alike that the rules and institutions that have governed international affairs so effectively since the end of World War II are increasingly dysfunctional or altogether malfunctioning. This alarming phenomenon is broadly referred to as the “unravelling” and “disorder” of the global system. It afflicts the world […]

Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay said his government was “grateful” for India’s support in South China Sea dispute. He said its new President Duterte would meet PM Modi for the first time next week. The Philippines government has hailed India’s support for its case against China on the South China Sea and has […]

Support for China’s Position Appears Reduced Post-Verdict South China Sea dispute has implications for shipments of export cargo and import cargo in international trade. China appears to have lost support for its legal positions in the South China Sea dispute since an arbitration panel in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a […]

The July 12 tribunal ruling on a maritime dispute case brought by the Philippines against China helped to clarify international law on oceans and sets a high bar for what constitutes islands. It will have repercussions for many regional states’ claims. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) contains the most […]

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is no longer concerned about getting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to issue a unified statement on the South China Sea as the July 12 ruling of an international court invalidating China’s massive maritime claim is enough “legal foundation” to support Manila’s position, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay […]

PUERTO PRINCESA, PHILIPPINESBiologist Ed Gomez was in his office at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute about 25 years ago when the phone rang. The woman on the line told him she worked as a broker and had a client who wanted to buy some of the young giant clams his team was […]

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. China’s actions in the South China Sea are increasingly militaristic. Due to Vietnam’s lack of strong treaty allies, the country is particularly vulnerable compared to its peers. In response to Vietnam’s deteriorating security situation, it is likely to choose one of three strategies: 1) continue the current […]

China will be the “loser” if it does not recognize an international court ruling against its territorial claims in the South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Sec. Perfecto Yasay said Tuesday. An arbitration court in The Hague infuriated China in July when it ruled that China had no historical title over the South China Sea and […]