The Latest: Expert says sea ruling could be transforming

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Latest on an international tribunal’s ruling on the case filed by the Philippines against China’s claims in the South China Sea (all times local):

6:40 p.m.

A professor of the Asian political economy says the international arbitration ruling rejecting China’s claims to large swaths of the South China Sea could be a “transformative moment” in the region.

Speaking outside the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s base at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Leiden University professor of political economy in Asia, Jonathan London, tells The Associated Press that the decision will “give countries with a common interest in international norms something to point to and to rally around.”

London says that the ruling will let such nations say to China: “Look, here are the results of an international organization that has found that your claims have zero historical basis.”

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6:20 p.m.

Dozens of Filipinos rallying in Manila jumped in joy, wept and waved Philippine flags after news that an international tribunal had sided with the Philippines against China’s sea claims.

One person held up a poster that said: “Philippine sovereignty, non-negotiable.”

Aside from striking down China’s sweeping territorial claims, the tribunal also “found that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, constructing artificial islands and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.”

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6 p.m.

The Chinese government swiftly rejected an international tribunal’s ruling that China’s claim of much of the South China Sea has no legal basis, saying Beijing does not accept the jurisdiction of the panel.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said that China “solemnly declares that the award is null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognizes it.”

“China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards. China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards,” the statement said.

The ministry repeated China’s often-expressed stance that the Philippines’ move to initiate arbitration without China’s consent was in “bad faith” and in violation of international law.

6 p.m.

Japan urged China and the Philippines to abide by an international tribunal ruling that found no legal basis for Beijing’s South China Sea claims.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that the Arbitral Tribunal’s decision is “final and legally binding” and that the two sides should comply with it.

Kishida said in a statement that “Japan strongly expects that the parties’ compliance with this award will eventually lead to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea.”

Japan has its own territorial disputes with China over a set of islands in the East China Sea, and has raised concerns over Beijing’s military assertiveness in the regional waters.

He said Japan supports the rule of law and the use of peaceful means, not the use of force or coercion, in seeking settlement of maritime disputes.

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5:45 p.m.

An international tribunal has criticized China for building a large artificial island on Mischief Reef in the South China Sea, saying it caused “permanent irreparable harm” to the coral reef ecosystem and permanently destroyed evidence of the natural conditions of the feature.

In a ruling Tuesday on a variety of issues concerning a dispute between China and the Philippines, the tribunal concluded that China had violated its obligations to refrain from aggravating the dispute while the settlement process was still going on.

The Hague-based tribunal also found that China had interfered with Philippine petroleum exploration at Reed Bank, tried to stop fishing by Philippine vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone, and failed to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing within the Philippines’ EEZ at Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal.

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5:15 p.m.

The Philippine government welcomed a ruling that rejects China’s ‘nine-dash line’ claiming much of the South China Sea.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said in Manila the “milestone decision” was an important contribution to efforts in addressing disputes in the sea.

He said: “The Philippines reiterates its abiding commitment to efforts of pursuing the peaceful resolution and management of disputes with the view of promoting and enhancing peace and stability in the region.”

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5 p.m.

An international tribunal has found that there is no legal basis for China’s “nine-dash line” claiming rights to much of the South China Sea.

The tribunal issued its ruling Tuesday in The Hague in response to an arbitration case brought by the Philippines against China.

The panel said that any historic rights to resources that China may have had were wiped out if they are incompatible with exclusive economic zones established under a U.N. treaty.

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4:45 p.m.

Rival demonstrators have tried to drown out one another in a shouting match outside the seat of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague minutes before it is due to issue an international arbitration panel’s hotly anticipated ruling in a dispute over the South China Sea.

Three demonstrators holding up banners shouted “China out of Philippine waters!” while rival protesters yelled in Chinese.

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4:45 p.m.

Carrying a fishing boat with a Philippine flag, more than 100 left-wing activists marched to the Chinese consulate in metropolitan Manila yelling, “Philippine territory is ours, China get out.” They called their campaign to push China out of the South China Sea, “CHexit” or “China exit now.”

Protest leader Renato Reyes of the Bayan group called on China to respect the tribunal’s decision, which he says would likely favor the Philippines. Chinese coast guard ships, he said, have blocked Filipino fishermen from disputed areas like the Scarborough Shoal, affecting their livelihood.

Fisherman Fernando Rayman, who joined the protest, hoped the ruling will favor the Philippines and stop China’s aggressive actions “so that our family can have a better life, we can send our children to school, because now it’s very hard.”

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4:30 p.m.

Thailand has urged all parties with stakes in the South China Sea to maintain peace and stability.

In a statement issued ahead of an international tribunal ruling on a dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, Thailand’s foreign ministry said it is important to restore trust and confidence among countries in the region.

It says the situation in the South China Sea should be resolved “on the basis of mutual trust and confidence as well as equitable benefit” that would reflect the long-standing relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

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4:30 p.m.

China has summoned its demobilized sailors and officers for training drills, state media have confirmed, in exercises that apparently started just days ahead of a tribunal ruling on China’s expansive claims to the South China Sea.

The People’s Liberation Army Daily newspaper said on social media late Monday that Chinese navy reserves have been called up to perform “functional tasks.” The post followed online rumors that reservists in central Chinese provinces were called up for an unspecified mission from July 10 to July 22.

The PLA Daily’s post did not explicitly link the call-up to the South China Sea ruling expected Tuesday but said that decommissioned naval officers and reserves hold “normal trainings every year, after which they are able to proficiently operate naval vessels and equipment.”

It added: “‘If there is war, we must answer the call’ is the sentiment in the hearts of many demobilized veterans.”

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4 p.m.

Vietnam has accused Chinese vessels of sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat in disputed waters as an international tribunal was to rule Tuesday on the case brought by the Philippines that challenges Beijing’s claim of most of the South China Sea.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, a local fisheries executive in central province of Quang Ngai said two Chinese vessels chased and sank the Vietnamese fishing boat as it was fishing near the Paracel Islands on Saturday. The fishermen were rescued by a fellow fishing trawler some seven hours later.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague was scheduled to issue its ruling later Tuesday.