The Philippines is resisting China’s claims in the South China Sea by filing its case with the United Nations arbitration tribunal of judges, which has agreed to hear the case in March at The Hague. President Benigno S. Aquino III has appealed to the international community to support his effort to settle the territorial dispute through rule of law.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, which is resource-rich with fish and potentially oil and gas, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan make partial claims. The Filipino foreign affairs secretary, Albert del Rosario, said the Philippines took its case to United Nations arbitration as the only viable option after exhausting all diplomatic avenues with China. Following the filing by the Philippines in January last year, China has kept paramilitary ships on station in the disputed area, harassing Filipino fishing and commercial boats.

China has made it clear that it will not participate in the United Nations arbitration tribunal and demanded a negotiated settlement with the Philippines.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/opinion/tangling-with-china.html?_r=0