Conflict and Cooperation in the South China Sea

Countries with competing claims in the South China Sea are still adjusting to a landmark ruling on maritime boundaries in the region. The Permanent Court of Arbitration announced its decision July 12 to invalidate China's broad claims under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ruling in particular that the Scarborough Shoal has no islands and therefore no exclusive economic zone to claim. The decision marked a victory for the Philippines, for though Manila also claims the shoal, Beijing occupies it. At the very least, the Philippines managed to ensure that China cannot legally control the shoal and, by extension, created an opening for other states lining the South China Sea to chip away at China's position under UNCLOS. But since its victory, the Philippines has played its hand carefully. Manila knows its position is weak -- China's military is vastly more powerful than its own. But the...