Now we know the outcome of this judgment, which is not surprising really, it has most certainly set a precedent for other sovereign nations to disregard or deny any of the UN bodies like the arbitration court and its judgments.

It just reinforces the UN as the "paper tiger" it's always been known to be. At attempt at International law with unenforceable judgements from its arbitration court arm and the Chinese know it too.

This lets other so called "rogue" nations step up and play games with the UN and its related bodies. I'll bet Putin and other dictators are rubbing their hands in glee.

If there were a more hawkish president in the white house, I don't think the Chinese would be pushing this south china sea dilemma any further than where it got to in the last 6 years or so. Come November this year though and It will be a different foreign policy agenda that the next US president has to contend with and won't have much choice but to come down on China somehow, some way... we all hope! or else the future geopolitical tensions just got elevated to a new scarier level that we have never seen before.

Hi Rojama

China could well argue its OK for some (like the US) to disregard the Court.

The US is not a participant in this Court so does not consider itself automatically bound by the Court's judgements.

As we all know the US is above mere international institutions because it is morally exceptional.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_International_Criminal_Court

Pete

China is doing something that nation before in history has ever done. It is claiming an entire ocean as it's territory. So Plantagenet attacks the USA.

And you wonder why people such as myself think you lefties are fruit loops.

However the US is not party to the court it wants China to accept.
Russia annexes bits of Ukraine as Israel does outside its UN mandate with US agreement.
Personal abuse is also highly illegal.

Hi "LEGO" - or should I say: "Toddlers' Plastic Blocks"?

Ditto mate ditto.

:)

The only opposition to China that is possible is military might.

Or, perhaps there'll be a scramble by major powers to claim the world's oceans. Imagine Australia USA NZ claiming the Pacific, Australia, South Africa and India, the Indian Ocean and so on.

No joke tho', once fully established in the SCS, the Chinese will have Oz at its mercy, just a matter of come'n'get it, unless we have a huge allied naval presence.

The security of Darwin port is important to this, and I have no idea why we don't buy off the shelf quiet, long range, nuclear submarines to defend ourselves instead of buying a job creation project.

Oh, that's right, the Greens in the Senate would block it.