UN Arbitration Court Rules Against China's South Sea Claims

Beijing has dismissed a decision by an international court in the Netherlands, which ruled that China's territorial claims in the South China Sea have no "historic title" and are violating the sovereignty of the Philippines. The decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague is being seen as a landmark case in the long-running disputes between China and several Southeast Asian nations. The ruling is legally binding – but the court has no power of enforcement.