| Summary/Abstract |
On July 12, 2016, an international arbitration panel based in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines against China over South China Sea territorial disputes. This much-anticipated verdict came in the midst of China's increasingly assertive rhetoric and ambitious island-building program in the region. While the ruling steered clear of addressing the merits of sovereignty claims between China and the Philippines, it effectively nullified China's controversial nine-dash line, which is Beijing's unofficial demarcation of its claims over a significant percentage of waters in the South China Sea.
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