The erstwhile Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. cautioned the nation against offending the Chinese government. President Rodrigo Duterte decided to set aside the ruling in order to embark on an economic-oriented relationship with the Chinese government. This meant that while their maritime disputes remained unresolved, neither of them would exert any effort to change the status of the maritime features that are subject of these disputes. The tribunal declared that China violated Philippine sovereign rights, and that it undermined the integrity of the proceedings. But with DU30 waiving China’s obligation to comply with the arbitral ruling, China may have been released from that obligation.

Source: Manila Times July 16, 2017 17:37 UTC