The territorial disputes in the South China Sea are not new. China's nine-dash line claim dates to 1947; the overlapping claims of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan are nearly as old. What has changed is the pace of physical fact-creation.
Between 2013 and 2016, China reclaimed approximately 3,200 acres of land in the Spratly Islands and constructed military-grade runways, hangars, and radar installations on seven features. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that the historical basis for China's claims had no legal validity. China rejected the ruling.
For the Philippines, which has the most direct exposure to the legal and strategic consequences of Chinese assertiveness, the question is no longer whether to push back but how to do so without triggering an escalation neither side can afford.
