Today (July 12) may be remembered as an important milestone in world history—an international court in The Hague will rule on a sensitive case that pits the Philippines against China over disputed territory in the South China Sea.
Technically, the case is about the status of certain reefs and rocks in the sea, and consequently how much sea around them is subject to international laws. But it is also a proxy for China’s ongoing battle with its Asian neighbors over how the resource-rich, strategically important sea is divided—via a once-ignored 70-year-old Chinese map, as China wants, or via an international treaty agreed to and signed by over 160 countries (including China), as most of its neighbors do.
In the coming days, China’s reaction to the ruling could have global repercussions for decades to come. The big question is: Will an increasingly powerful Beijing comply with global laws and treaties to ensure peaceful resolution of conflicts?
In this case, at least, all signs point to “No.”
http://qz.com/728311/is-china-on-the-brink-of-going-rogue-after-the-south-china-sea-decision/