China first asserted its claim to the UN secretary general opposing

China = everything land and sea within the 9 dash line is governed by China jurisdiction
Philippines = 9 dash line = 50 nautical lines
Philippines position = under UNCLOS, to which both are parties, the coastal states entitledness
12 miles
China conflicts with UNCLOS
From the Philippines that Chinas claim f sovereignty right far beyong its entitledment with the
provisions of UNCLOS and consider as trespassing
China has prevented Ph from enjoying its resources prescribed by UNCLOS (fishing rights)
Philippines is seeking in the arbitration is a declaration that all the rights and entitledments in
the south china sea are governed by the UNCLOS and that under that the 9 dash line is
inconsistent and unlawful and is entitled to the enjoyment of its resources and that it should ne
free of emploitation of its resources where china has no corresponding entitlement
Status of insular features (islands and rochs) in the south china sea
Scarborough Shoal consists of 6
Sovereignty is disputed, an arbitral tribunal does not have jurisdiction to determine sovereignty
of land features such as islands
However, what the PH asks is to determine the status of the rock features upon the convention
Is it an island or is it a rock, an insular feature that is above water at high tide and that it is
insignificant that it cannot sustain human life
Significance of status = if its is a roch within 12miles would be a circle with a 24 mile diameter
around ss and all the bourders not inside the circle are of the PH
For the PH it is an important to classify bec most of the surrounding waters would be entitled to
the PH and less woud be in dispute
Well within 200miles of the PH