Hague Court Agrees to Hear South China Sea Dispute

An international court in The Hague ruled against China and in favor of the Philippines Thursday by agreeing to hear a case brought by the Philippines in a long-standing territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that the case actually concerns a disagreement over the interpretation of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea -- a question over which the tribunal does have jurisdiction.

China has claimed that the dispute was strictly about the sovereignty over islands in the sea, an issue over which the court has no jurisdiction.

China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam also claim part of the waters, which are a vital international trade route.

China is building artificial islands in the contested waters. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 22 kilometers of one of the islands earlier this week, angering China. The U.S. says it will continue to sail anywhere international law allows.

The court says it will consider seven of 15 complaints brought against China by the Philippines while setting aside seven others and seeking clarification from Manila on one.

The court plans to issue its final ruling some time next year. China says it will not recognize the court's ultimate decision, as it continues to claim sovereignty over the islands close to Philippines' territorial waters. China has said it prefers to settle the dispute in bilateral talks.

Republican Senator John McCain of the Armed Services Committee said he welcomes The Hague ruling as an "important step forward in upholding international law against China's attempts to assert vast and, in my view, questionable claims in the South China Sea."

Fuente: La Voz de América, http://www.voanews.com/content/hague-court-agrees-to-hear-south-china-sea-dispute/3029324.html