The International Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration under Annex 7 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) said China’s 9-line in South China has no legal basis. It decided that Beijing cannot claim exclusive economic zone in the Spratlys, Dow Jones reported. China’s Xinhua new agency, for its part, said the “law-abusing tribunal” issued an ill founded award. The Philippines versus China arbitration stated on January 22, 2013 when the country served China with a Notification and Statement of Claim pursuant to the provisions of the UNCLOS. China rejected and returned the Philippines’ notifications as it reiterated its position of non-acceptance and non-participation in the arbitration. Annex VII to the UNCLOS, however, provides for the formation of a tribunal notwithstanding the non-participation of a party and provides that the “[a]bsence of a party or failure of a party to defend its case shallo not [...]
