China Can’t Ignore The Hague’s Decision—But It Can Avoid It

China has dismissed the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s legal ruling for the Philippines over claims in the South China Sea as a mere “piece of waste paper.” Since the arbitration commenced, China has stated that it will ignore the decision. In reality, China has done everything but ignore the arbitration—because it cannot. Now, China’s best hope to avoid compliance is to negotiate with The Philippines for better terms.