Why the Intl Arbitral Tribunal decided against China’s arguments

MANILA: On October 29, 2015, the Permanent Court of Arbitration has ruled that it has jurisdiction on the Philippines’ case questioning the legality of China’s enormous claims in the South China Sea.

The decision, which the Philippine government and its ally, the United States, have welcomed, came more than three months after Manila’s legal team and top diplomats presented its arguments in The Hague from July 7 to 13 to convince the court to assume authority over the case.