China vows to reject South China Sea ruling

[rooster59]

China vows to reject South China Sea ruling

By Catherine Hardy

What is happening?

China has once again vowed to ignore a landmark legal ruling from the Court of Arbitration in the Hague about its South China Sea dispute with the Philippines.

Beijing’s comments come on the fringes of Asia’s biggest security summit in Singapore, where the situation is being
viewed with concern.

The tensions look set to dominate the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD)

What did Beijing say?

“To put it simply, the arbitration case has gone beyond the jurisdiction of the arbitration court because the territorial and sovereignty dispute cannot be subject to arbitration. So, we see this arbitration is illegal and will not participate nor accept it,” said Guan Youfei, Rear Admiral of China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Why is China angry?

China has accused the Philippines of seeking to negate Beijing’s sovereignty in the South China Sea by describing Taiping Island as a reef and not an island.

Beijing refuses to recognise the case, lodged by the Philippines with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Officials say the dispute should be resolved through bilateral talks.

What does Manila say?

Manila is challenging the legality of China’s claim in the South China Sea.

It argues that no land mass in the Spratly archipelago, including Itu Aba – or Taiping Island in Chinese – can be legally considered a life-sustaining island.

This would mean Beijing cannot hold exclusive rights to a 370 kilometre economic zone.

Why is the US involved?

The US is lobbying for Asian and other countries to back the ruling as binding.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter told the forum in Singapore that Washington will remain the world’s most powerful military and the main guarantor of security in Asia for decades to come.

However, Guan Youfei warned the US to avoid escalating tension in the region at the same time.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-06-05

[Usernames]

The time grows near when everybody in the region is going to reveal themselves and whose side they're on. No getting out of it. You either back China's territorial land grab or respect the rule of law. Let's see how the members of ASEAN line up.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Usernames

[user82374298374]

Let's see how the members of ASEAN line up.

. . . behind the US Navy, if they get their way.

[Rancid]

The time grows near when everybody in the region is going to reveal themselves and whose side they're on. No getting out of it. You either back China's territorial land grab or respect the rule of law. Let's see how the members of ASEAN line up.

Agree about China being a worry & seeing how countries line up. However the US is just the devil we know, they act purely on behalf of their stakeholders, and that sure ain't any of us.

[Ulic]

Bilateral talks with China, means accept Chinas view. No compromise.

[wabothai]

glad I am old

[lostmebike]

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter told the forum in Singapore that Washington will remain the world’s most powerful military and the main guarantor of security in Asia for decades to come.

Will be interesting to see how this guarantee plays out.

[lvr181]

".......they act purely on behalf of their stakeholders, and that sure ain't any of us."

And who are their stakeholders?

If the U.S, was instrumental (alone or with others) in not letting your country being over run by China, would you not be a stake holder? Just thinking.

BTW - I am not a citizen of the U.S.A. in case you think I am being biased.

[Rayk]

Strange how the US basically gave itself to China back under the Reagan administration by allowing thousands of companies and factories to move to China and thus having Americans lose millions of jobs, which was very helpful in ensuring that China became the military power that it is today, but yet they are overly concerned about China expanding its borders in open water.

They didn't give a shit about what happened within their own borders and to their own population so why don't they do something about that.

End the stupid agreement that Reagan made with the Chinese and bring those factories and jobs back to the USA.

Oh, wait a minute,I forgot, they can't, because China already owns America.

[ggt]

This debacle has all the ingredients of a major conflict...no one will give in...no one will accept the other's claim to the area...

The US may be drawn into a conflict with China...half-way around the world...which could escalate into a full-blown world war...

Not a pretty picture...the US will not be exempt from massive death and destruction...if this thing gets out of control...

The Chinese and Russians are prepared to do damage...while Muslim terrorist would love to seize an opportunity like this to divide American into regions...quickly pitting people of color and religious differences against one another...much like they have done in the Middle East...

The US could become hell-on-earth if cooler heads do not prevail...

[tails]

Why is the US involved?

um,,,, because they are the US

[LawrenceChee]

I believe this issue must be viewed pragmatically in many ways.

From a trade point , China is the leader here in this region for APAC and north Asia and understandably Obama and HC would want this to pivot back to a balance at some point to share the spoils .

The TPP will be a main driver for that and the ASEAN and north Asia countries all stand to gain from the multiple platforms where funding is available for structural projects

I believe Japanese were here first in ASEAN with trade aid but didn't work on the momentum and got flat footed by how fast the Chinese has established themselves in Indochina within the last 15 years ; aligning themselves back to their traditional ally USA while engaging China in trade seems to be a tactic of many ASEAN and north APAC countries

The USA is caught blindsided and you can see Carters remarks reflect the naiveness of the Americans.

No one will ever challenge the USA for military supremacy, but being the guarantor of security ?

The USA is threading on thin ice with that and from a Chinese point , this is aggressive and provocative and rightly so in their point. I believe strongly no American citizens will find it funny if the Chinese starts to send their entire fleet across the pacific and repeatedly sail into your waters to exercise their right of navigation ...if they do it for extended periods of time, no Americans will feel comfortable with that and believe it is friendly and unprovocative

China like USA is a superpower , however in all of the threats and disagreements USA has with Mexico , Cuba , Russians etc , you don't find the Chinese expressing solidarity with them and sending their forces to within 12 nautical miles of the international lines and start sailing past the west coast etc. Not even Cuba a communist Brother would invoke the Chinese to meddle in other countries diplomatic spat and get involved in something they should not do

Till this point , it's about land reclamation and there is no military danger to any nations and as usual USA has over responded swinging their forces across the pacific in a bullying tactic of showing we can do it

The ASEAN and north Asia countries meanwhile are chuckling ...why ?

China is not a dumb country ...CCP are pragmatic and intelligent ...fighting the Vietnamese on one front and having the coastal forces of the Taiwanese / Japanese on one end .,,they will never start a war or escalate it to that extend. No Chinese government will ever waste that money or win that kind of wars ...Germany defeat for over stretching has been overtly discussed in military academies in China and they will never fight a war this close to home.

Yet the USA truly believed the ASEAN countries are weak and need help ...the perfect diplomatic analogy will be to use the late LKY founding Father of Singapore. He has mentioned many times the strategic use of UK and USA relations in early days to combat communists and later obtain cheap loans under the pretext of a developing nation was fundamentally essential to saving costs for its early structural development

Played the west wisely for a sucker by acting weak is like what many ASEAN countries is doing now to extract maximum benefit from USA and knocking off trade deals with China ...win win

To speak in ugly terms ...ask your TVF friends how many American friends fell for the buafflo story of Thai hookers and lost all their cash ....nasty but direct way to describe how ASEAN and north APAC countries is using Uncle SAM's big heart ...they don't have to use a single cent to challenge China for more trade deals and the USA taxpayers are all paying for this boisterous and useless display in the SCS ...

Meanwhile the Chinese ship chandlers are waiting at HK / Shanghai piers to over-charge the sailors for their provisions onboard when they run out of fruits at the their SCS run and their expensive R&R...it would be what Trump would describe as a lousy deal ...I would negotiate a better one yeah right

Edited June 5, 2016 by LawrenceChee

[ICECOOL]

Climate change and rising sea levels may sort them...if they don't just continue to build on the reefs

[swerver]

".......they act purely on behalf of their stakeholders, and that sure ain't any of us."

And who are their stakeholders?

If the U.S, was instrumental (alone or with others) in not letting your country being over run by China, would you not be a stake holder? Just thinking.

BTW - I am not a citizen of the U.S.A. in case you think I am being biased.

Sorry but the subject here is not "COUNTRY OVER RUN".

The subject here are Atolls and Reefs in the wide open ocean.

There aren't even inhabitants involved, unless it are Chinese military and workers, but none from the rabblerousing countries.

If these rabble-rousers had any brains, they would sit down with China (their next door neighbor) and workout a system of joint development, but no they listen their bosom friend from the other side of the world

[Publicus]

The UN sponsored Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that is about to rule on the UNCLOS treaty in the Philippines v China dispute has five members.

The presiding arbiter is from Ghana and the Tribunal arbiters are from France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland.

CCP Dictators in Beijing have radically different notions on the law of the sea. To include radically different notions of the rule of law domestically and internationally. CCP does not like the rule of law as it continues to enrich itself by the rule of men.

Under the UNCLOS the South China Sea is a global commons where freedom of navigation is assured both on the sea and in the air above it. CCP however wants it to become a Chinese lake.

CCP in Beijing have gone so far with it that they've alienated almost all of Asean and the entire region from Japan and S Korea to India, all the while lining up supporters against the UNCLOS such as Gambia, Togo, Slovenia, Fiji and among a bunch of such others, Moscow.

Scarborough Shoal is the only place CCP Dictators haven't grabbed yet. It's well within the Philippines EEZ and Philippine sovereignty, 470 miles away from the CCP coast. US told Beijing not to go there because CCP missiles would be in range of Manila and US troops returning to the Phils.

So everyone is waiting for the PCA to drop the first shoe to find out if the CCP will drop the other one to show its defiance. If CCP does move against Scarborough it will know to expect a response which is of no comfort to anyone.

[bangon04]

Bilateral talks with China, means accept Chinas view. No compromise.

In every political, territorial or ideological dispute, the Chinese spokeswoman stands up and insists that all parties to the dispute must strictly follow the relevant international law.

Unless of course it is not in China's interest.

[hawker9000]

Well, China couldn't have picked a better (read "weaker") administration in Washington to deal with. They realize the Apologist-in-Chief will just keep dithering and do absolutely nothing. These transits by destroyers being careful to keep their distance and not doing anything "provocative" are laughable. I predicted these S. China Sea grabs would get airstrips and aircraft as soon as the logistics were in place, and was 100% right. The Chinese squatters are not going to go peacefully. But if Obama had done something more decisive in the first place in defense of freedom of the seas, the world wouldn't be in this position. I'll bet the thugs in Beijing were themselves amazed at the lack of response, but at this point it's pretty much a done deal. 'WAY past the point now where legal decisions and rhetoric can be expected to have any effect, as Beijing's belligerent repudiations of any UN ruling amply demonstrate. Yet another foreign affairs debacle courtesy of Barry O.

[tonbridgebrit]

Okay people, let's get real here. The ruling by whatever governing body is going to be against China's claims, and the ruling is a load of rubbish.


The OP mentions Taiping Island. Here's a link from wikipedia regarding Taiping Island, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Island


Please click onto the link. Notice the map there, notice that Taiping Island is far away from China. Now then, any body carrying out any ruling that rules against China (Peoples' Republic of China) taking the South China Sea must also rule AGAINST China (Republic of China, Taiwan) having Taiping Island.

That governing body must be treated with CONTEMPT by all of us if it does not allow China to have the South China Sea, but it allows China to have Taiping Island.


Is it surprising that Beijing is going to look at the ruling, and throw it into the bin ?

[tonbridgebrit]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senkaku_Islands_dispute






Above is a link and map from wikipedia, regarding another disputed island in that part of the world. Senkaku Islands belong to Japan. Notice that China (Peoples' Republic of China, and Republic of China ) is closer to the Senkaku Islands than Okinawa is. Okinawa is part of Japan.



Any court or any governing body that rules AGAINST China in the Spratly Islands and Taipng Island, MUST also rule against Japan on the Senkaku Islands. If they decide against China in the South China Sea, but rule in favour of Japan on the Senkaku Islands, again, the rulings must or should be treated with CONTEMPT by all of us.


Is it surprising that Beijing will simply look at the rulings, and throw them into the bin ?

[wabothai]

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter told the forum in Singapore that Washington will remain the world’s most powerful military and the main guarantor of security in Asia for decades to come.

Will be interesting to see how this guarantee plays out.

As long as the people of America supply you with the money to do so, carter.

[tonbridgebrit]

Sorry, the above map I put up, Naha is where Okinawa (Japan) is.

[kamahele]

Well, China couldn't have picked a better (read "weaker") administration in Washington to deal with. They realize the Apologist-in-Chief will just keep dithering and do absolutely nothing. These transits by destroyers being careful to keep their distance and not doing anything "provocative" are laughable. I predicted these S. China Sea grabs would get airstrips and aircraft as soon as the logistics were in place, and was 100% right. The Chinese squatters are not going to go peacefully. But if Obama had done something more decisive in the first place in defense of freedom of the seas, the world wouldn't be in this position. I'll bet the thugs in Beijing were themselves amazed at the lack of response, but at this point it's pretty much a done deal. 'WAY past the point now where legal decisions and rhetoric can be expected to have any effect, as Beijing's belligerent repudiations of any UN ruling amply demonstrate. Yet another foreign affairs debacle courtesy of Barry O.

Fox News has chimed in. What exactly has Obama apologized for? And Obama is the President who has actually stood up to China unlike his predecessors. Stop watching Fox and look to other media organizations which don't only pander to your personal beliefs. Broaden your horizons.

[boomerangutang]

The time grows near when everybody in the region is going to reveal themselves and whose side they're on. No getting out of it. You either back China's territorial land grab or respect the rule of law. Let's see how the members of ASEAN line up.

The sides have already been stratified. It's China against the world, unless you count a few little easily-bribed countries like The Gambia.

Actually, there are 3 groupings. A. China, B. The rest of the world, and C. countries like Thailand and Malaysia which are wishy washy saying wimpy Rodney King things like, "why can't we all just get along?"

Why is the US involved?

um,,,, because they are the US

The US is involved because it is assisting smaller, weaker countries (who are friends) against the Asian Bully. Plus, no one needs to be reminded the US has the strongest military in the world and is not shy about brandishing it.

Sorry but the subject here is not "COUNTRY OVER RUN". The subject here are Atolls and Reefs in the wide open ocean.

There aren't even inhabitants involved, unless it are Chinese military and workers, but none from the rabblerousing countries.

If these rabble-rousers had any brains, they would sit down with China (their next door neighbor) and workout a system of joint development, but no they listen their bosom friend from the other side of the world

If a neighbor is having his house taken over by bullies, am I a rabble-rouser for coming to my neighbor's aid?

Individual countries, sitting down with China to talk things over, is China's plan to take possession of as much of their territories as possible. China can cajole, pay big sums, negotiate trade agreements, no problem. But it's the issue of taking possession of other countries' territories which is problematic. China is heading for a serious slap-down.

China doesn't want to talk to a group of countries, because China knows it's breaking the law, and China won't gain any concessions (and will have little leverage) if negotiating with a coalition. That's why China wants to deal with countries individually. It also wastes time, which is advantageous to expanding Chinese interests in the SCS.

[boomerangutang]

What goes round comes round. Why shouldn't China ignore this resolution ? Why should the US get so upset ? After all the Jewish supported US congress has allowed Israel to totally disregard UN resolutions over Palestine . The US are just upset because the Chinese now have the military ( and economic ) might to show the finger to the States.

Game over , world power domination is shifting, as it always does through history.

Each conflict zone has its own parameters. The SCS imbroglio is more like the Argentinian/British problem with the Malvines/Shetlands than the M.East problems. Yet, with the Argentinian/Brit problem, the islands were much closer to Argentina than to England.

In the SCS, the Phil territories are much closer to the Philippines than to China.

If China wants to be a player on the world stage, it should follow the rules, particularly when it's a signatory.

Yes, China is building it's military power, but it's still far below the US in the top 5 ww. It's best weapons are so-so copies of 15 year old US tech.

For China to be seen as a world power, it has to do more than build up its military. It has to show at least a modicum of care/concern for any place (any people) outside of China. Thus far, the Chinese aren't lifting a finger to assist any disadvantaged people outside of China. Re; environmental husbandry, China is doing even less, if that's possible. The only two things China does internationally is try to covet other countries' territory, and make business deals.

[LawrenceChee]

What goes round comes round. Why shouldn't China ignore this resolution ? Why should the US get so upset ? After all the Jewish supported US congress has allowed Israel to totally disregard UN resolutions over Palestine . The US are just upset because the Chinese now have the military ( and economic ) might to show the finger to the States.

Game over , world power domination is shifting, as it always does through history.

Each conflict zone has its own parameters. The SCS imbroglio is more like the Argentinian/British problem with the Malvines/Shetlands than the M.East problems. Yet, with the Argentinian/Brit problem, the islands were much closer to Argentina than to England.

In the SCS, the Phil territories are much closer to the Philippines than to China.

If China wants to be a player on the world stage, it should follow the rules, particularly when it's a signatory.

Yes, China is building it's military power, but it's still far below the US in the top 5 ww. It's best weapons are so-so copies of 15 year old US tech.

For China to be seen as a world power, it has to do more than build up its military. It has to show at least a modicum of care/concern for any place (any people) outside of China. Thus far, the Chinese aren't lifting a finger to assist any disadvantaged people outside of China. Re; environmental husbandry, China is doing even less, if that's possible. The only two things China does internationally is try to covet other countries' territory, and make business deals.

It's strange when you consider the facts ...they have 1.4 billion citizens to take care of ...that's a huge chunk of the world population to keep fed , happy and prosperous.

For years Chinabeen keeping Mad Kim at Bay from the entire Asia region. Their methods are not the same usual USA ...lets go there and do a bomb show and figure out the long term stuff later on....so for the last 30 years has generations of Kims exploded ?

Has the world another seen a major regional conflict in Asia arena after WWII except for Vietnam ( again Uncle Sam's interpretation of the ASEAN area needs help against the commies)

Be happy China is engaging the Kims the correct way and preventing a huge humanitarian disaster for Asia that no one wants to talk about or can handle if the north Koreas all come asking for rice and Kim Chi

The Chinese methods are slower , more patient ...that's why we have been around for 5000 years.

Edited June 6, 2016 by LawrenceChee

[Usernames]

What goes round comes round. Why shouldn't China ignore this resolution ? Why should the US get so upset ? After all the Jewish supported US congress has allowed Israel to totally disregard UN resolutions over Palestine . The US are just upset because the Chinese now have the military ( and economic ) might to show the finger to the States.

Game over , world power domination is shifting, as it always does through history.

Each conflict zone has its own parameters. The SCS imbroglio is more like the Argentinian/British problem with the Malvines/Shetlands than the M.East problems. Yet, with the Argentinian/Brit problem, the islands were much closer to Argentina than to England.

In the SCS, the Phil territories are much closer to the Philippines than to China.

If China wants to be a player on the world stage, it should follow the rules, particularly when it's a signatory.

Yes, China is building it's military power, but it's still far below the US in the top 5 ww. It's best weapons are so-so copies of 15 year old US tech.

For China to be seen as a world power, it has to do more than build up its military. It has to show at least a modicum of care/concern for any place (any people) outside of China. Thus far, the Chinese aren't lifting a finger to assist any disadvantaged people outside of China. Re; environmental husbandry, China is doing even less, if that's possible. The only two things China does internationally is try to covet other countries' territory, and make business deals.

It's strange when you consider the facts ...they have 1.4 billion citizens to take care of ...that's a huge chunk of the world population to keep fed , happy and prosperous.

For years Chinabeen keeping Mad Kim at Bay from the entire Asia region. Their methods are not the same usual USA ...lets go there and nom and figure out the long term stuff later on shows ...so for the last 30 years has generations of Kims exploded ?

Has the world another seen a major regional conflict in Asia arena after WWII except for Vietnam ( again Uncle Sam's interpretation of the ASEAN area needs help against the commies)

Be happy China is engaging the Kims the correct way and preventing a huge humanitarian disaster for Asia that no one wants to talk about or can handle if the north Koreas all come asking for rice and Kim Chi

Has the world another seen a major regional conflict in Asia arena after WWII except for Vietnam ( again Uncle Sam's interpretation of the ASEAN area needs help against the commies) --

*************

Yes, Korea, where it was the world against Chinese/North Korean aggression. And, yes, in 1962, when China invaded India. And 1979, when China invaded Vietnam. Oh, and don't forget the Chinese invasion and annexation of Tibet. And a minor skirmish in 1969 when China attacked Soviet border installations. In 2013, China occupied 8300 miles of Bhutan's territory. Anybody see a pattern here?

[boomerangutang]

Having a giant population is not justification for commandeering other countries' territories.

Yes, China is chummy with Fat Boy Kim. What burns my biscuit is China either jailing or sending N.Korean migrants back to the hell hole where they will be imprisoned along with their families, ....probably tortured also.

Why does China treat freedom-seeking migrants like criminals? China should let them head to S. Korea where they want to go.

I doubt even Trump would send migrants back to a place where they would be imprisoned and tortured.

[LawrenceChee]

The UN sponsored Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that is about to rule on the UNCLOS treaty in the Philippines v China dispute has five members.

The presiding arbiter is from Ghana and the Tribunal arbiters are from France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland.

CCP Dictators in Beijing have radically different notions on the law of the sea. To include radically different notions of the rule of law domestically and internationally. CCP does not like the rule of law as it continues to enrich itself by the rule of men.

Under the UNCLOS the South China Sea is a global commons where freedom of navigation is assured both on the sea and in the air above it. CCP however wants it to become a Chinese lake.

CCP in Beijing have gone so far with it that they've alienated almost all of Asean and the entire region from Japan and S Korea to India, all the while lining up supporters against the UNCLOS such as Gambia, Togo, Slovenia, Fiji and among a bunch of such others, Moscow.

Scarborough Shoal is the only place CCP Dictators haven't grabbed yet. It's well within the Philippines EEZ and Philippine sovereignty, 470 miles away from the CCP coast. US told Beijing not to go there because CCP missiles would be in range of Manila and US troops returning to the Phils.

So everyone is waiting for the PCA to drop the first shoe to find out if the CCP will drop the other one to show its defiance. If CCP does move against Scarborough it will know to expect a response which is of no comfort to anyone.

Can you ask your government to sign and ratify the UNCLOS and then come in trying to tell China to obey the international ruling under UNCLOS.

Or is USA able to interpret the laws in the way when they want to because they believe they are a world power ?

So they will ratify any UN agreements when they are ready and not when people ask them to ?

But in the meantime can butt in to any regional business almost like the war cry at Iraq into bullying all the smaller UN members to believe the USA that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction in an open deceitful declaration ?

[Publicus]

The UN sponsored Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that is about to rule on the UNCLOS treaty in the Philippines v China dispute has five members.

The presiding arbiter is from Ghana and the Tribunal arbiters are from France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland.

CCP Dictators in Beijing have radically different notions on the law of the sea. To include radically different notions of the rule of law domestically and internationally. CCP does not like the rule of law as it continues to enrich itself by the rule of men.

Under the UNCLOS the South China Sea is a global commons where freedom of navigation is assured both on the sea and in the air above it. CCP however wants it to become a Chinese lake.

CCP in Beijing have gone so far with it that they've alienated almost all of Asean and the entire region from Japan and S Korea to India, all the while lining up supporters against the UNCLOS such as Gambia, Togo, Slovenia, Fiji and among a bunch of such others, Moscow.

Scarborough Shoal is the only place CCP Dictators haven't grabbed yet. It's well within the Philippines EEZ and Philippine sovereignty, 470 miles away from the CCP coast. US told Beijing not to go there because CCP missiles would be in range of Manila and US troops returning to the Phils.

So everyone is waiting for the PCA to drop the first shoe to find out if the CCP will drop the other one to show its defiance. If CCP does move against Scarborough it will know to expect a response which is of no comfort to anyone.

Can you ask your government to sign and ratify the UNCLOS and then come in trying to tell China to obey the international ruling under UNCLOS.

Or is USA able to interpret the laws in the way when they want to because they believe they are a world power ?

So they will ratify any UN agreements when they are ready and not when people ask them to ?

But in the meantime can butt in to any regional business almost like the war cry at Iraq into bullying all the smaller UN members to believe the USA that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction in an open deceitful declaration ?

The Executive branch of the US Government signed the UNCLOS.

Congress has not ratified it. The Executive conducts itself consistently with the treaty.

Beijing has separated itself from Asean and the entire region while lining up countries against the UNCLOS such as Togo and Moscow. Your Boyz really think they know what they're going! 5000 years and they've learned nothing.

[LawrenceChee]

The UN sponsored Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that is about to rule on the UNCLOS treaty in the Philippines v China dispute has five members.

The presiding arbiter is from Ghana and the Tribunal arbiters are from France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland.

CCP Dictators in Beijing have radically different notions on the law of the sea. To include radically different notions of the rule of law domestically and internationally. CCP does not like the rule of law as it continues to enrich itself by the rule of men.

Under the UNCLOS the South China Sea is a global commons where freedom of navigation is assured both on the sea and in the air above it. CCP however wants it to become a Chinese lake.

CCP in Beijing have gone so far with it that they've alienated almost all of Asean and the entire region from Japan and S Korea to India, all the while lining up supporters against the UNCLOS such as Gambia, Togo, Slovenia, Fiji and among a bunch of such others, Moscow.

Scarborough Shoal is the only place CCP Dictators haven't grabbed yet. It's well within the Philippines EEZ and Philippine sovereignty, 470 miles away from the CCP coast. US told Beijing not to go there because CCP missiles would be in range of Manila and US troops returning to the Phils.

So everyone is waiting for the PCA to drop the first shoe to find out if the CCP will drop the other one to show its defiance. If CCP does move against Scarborough it will know to expect a response which is of no comfort to anyone.

Can you ask your government to sign and ratify the UNCLOS and then come in trying to tell China to obey the international ruling under UNCLOS.

Or is USA able to interpret the laws in the way when they want to because they believe they are a world power ?

So they will ratify any UN agreements when they are ready and not when people ask them to ?

But in the meantime can butt in to any regional business almost like the war cry at Iraq into bullying all the smaller UN members to believe the USA that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction in an open deceitful declaration ?

The Executive branch of the US Government signed the UNCLOS.

Congress has not ratified it. The Executive conducts itself consistently with the treaty.

Beijing has separated itself from Asean and the entire region while lining up countries against the UNCLOS such as Togo and Moscow. Your Boyz really think they know what they're going! 5000 years and they've learned nothing.

What is the congress waiting for ? Are they Somalia now or just plain inefficient ?