Hague Tribunal rules against China in South China Sea claim

Crew members of China's South Sea Fleet taking part in a drill in the Xisha Islands, or the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, on May 5, 2016. - AFP

THE HAGUE: In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, an arbitral tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within its 'nine-dash line'.

In a ruling that fully favours the Philippines, the five-member tribunal also found that none of the features in the Spratly islands is capable of generating extended maritime zones and that the islands as a unit is also not capable of generating maritime zones collectively.