UN Court Set To Rule On Philippines-China Sea Dispute; Beijing Set To Protest

A United Nations arbitration court will rule in in May or June on a fractious maritime dispute between China and the Philippines. The five-person Permanent Court of Arbitration, after seven hearings, is studying now whether China's claim to a giant tropical ocean flouts UN conventions. Manila said that when it filed the case in 2013. The Philippines and four other Asian governments also claim much of the same South China Sea, which spans 3.5 million square kilometers from Taiwan to Singapore. A lot of the claims overlap, especially where China is involved. The sea holds reserves of undersea oil and natural gas, likewise ample fisheries and lanes for half the world's commercial shipping. That's why everyone cares.