Why a ruling that cannot be enforced still matters

Dr Hao Duy Phan from the Centre for International Law at NUS pointed out that even if China does not respect the award issued by the Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea disputes between the Philippines and China, and the Philippines does nothing to challenge the non-compliance, the award is still significant as it shows the Law of the Sea treaty provides a level playing field for states, big and small, to protect their legal rights.

• The Straits Times, 16 July 2016, Opinion, pA48