The Hague – A little-known international tribunal will early next month step into a bitter dispute over the South China Sea, handing down a ruling which risks further inflaming tensions between Southeast Asian nations and China. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) — the world’s oldest international tribunal for the peaceful resolution of disputes between nations – said Wednesday it will rule on July 12 in the highly-watched case brought by the Philippines challenging China’s claims to much of the strategic waterway. Beijing will reject any ruling by the international tribunal, the foreign ministry said, as tensions mount over the disputed waters. Manila lodged the suit against Beijing in early 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues to settle the dispute. But Beijing, angered by Manila’s move, has refused to participate in any hearings and said it will not comply with [...]
