Max Headroom wrote:The main difference with previous cases of countries refusing to follow international tribunal's rulings, such as in the case of the US vs. Nicaragua or Russia vs. Holland, is that these were country against country.
This case is also "country against country" - Philippines vs. China.
No other country is party to the case.
Until the US ratifies the UNCLOS, and respects the previous adverse tribunal ruling, they have no moral ground for objecting to China's refusal. That is the point.
China is trying to protect the shipping line through which 80% of their imported oil flows.
Thus, it is a security issue for them.
What the rest of the world thinks does not matter to China.
Being in the Security Council, they have veto power in the UN, too.
World opinion was ignored outright in June 1989, when China had a less developed economy.
Why should world opinion matter now, now that China is much stronger economically and militarily?