The ruling by a UN tribunal against China’s claims in the South China Sea presents an opportunity for the US to press for diplomatic solutions to the region’s territorial disputes but also raises the risk of a sharper confrontation with China.
In a verdict whose stinging criticism of China surprised legal analysts, the UN tribunal in The Hague said there was “no legal basis” for China’s claim to most of the South China Sea laid out on maps by the “nine-dash line”.
The Obama administration, which has presented the ruling as a test of China’s willingness to abide by international law, said the verdict was a “new opportunity” to resolve disputes in the South China Sea.