# Tribunal rules against China in dispute

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tribunal-rules-against-china-in-dispute/759737>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 12, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tribunal-rules-against-china-in-dispute/759737 "2016-07-12T18:58:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tribunal-rules-against-china-in-dispute/759737/1 "2016-07-12T18:58:35Z")

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[Link](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/beijing-remains-angry-defiant-and-defensive-as-key-south-china-sea-tribunal-ruling-looms/2016/07/12/11100f48-4771-11e6-8dac-0c6e4accc5b1_story.html)

> [@](#):
>
> China’s expansive assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea suffered a major blow Tuesday when an international tribunal ruled that its claims have no legal or historical basis, throwing up the possibility of a new period of tension and confrontation in the region.

China of course has no intention of abiding by the ruling which is toothless anyway. But it’s ironic that the US, UK and other Western nations are stating that China should heed the tribunal, given the fact that the US, for example, has a long history of not signing up to such international tribunals and the UK just recently completely ignored a ruling of the very same tribunal in a dispute between the UK and Mauritius.

[By ignoring the South China Sea ruling, China follows a long line of big powers](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/07/12/by-ignoring-the-south-china-sea-ruling-china-follows-a-long-line-of-great-powers/)