“The tribunal’s decision is final and legally binding on both China and the Philippines”, he added, urging all claimants “to avoid provocative statements or actions”. China has caused permanent and irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem at the Spratly (Truong Sa) archipelago, and that it also has no historic title over waters of the South China Sea, the tribunal said. US, Japan affirm tribunal’s East Sea-related ruling legally bindingThe State Department of the US on July 12 (Vietnam time) affirmed that the ruling made by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the Philippines’s lawsuit against China’s claims in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) is an important contribution to the shared goal of a peaceful resolution. On the day, the PCA in The Hague of the Netherlands issued the ruling on the case brought by the Philippines against China’s nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea. The Hague Tribunal also finds no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the nine-dash line.

Source: VietNamNet News July 12, 2016 14:26 UTC