Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — An Arbitral Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague will convene on Friday (July 10) to deliberate its jurisdiction over the Philippines’ case against China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea.
Throughout the first round of arguments, the Philippine delegation explained to the five-member court that nothing bars the tribunal from exercising authority over the territorial dispute.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which came into force in 1994, is a cornerstone of the delegation’s arguments. The Philippines and China are signatories to the agreement.
UNCLOS’ parties have agreed to a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) past their respective territorial waters. However, China’s historically-based nine-dashed line — which it uses to justify its activities in the West Philippine Sea — overlaps with the Philippine EEZ.