A senior US official says that an upcoming ruling on a case brought by the Philippines to arbitrate territorial claims in the South China Sea will also be binding on China despite its boycott of the proceedings.
China contends it won't be bound by the ruling that the Hague-based tribunal will deliver this year. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday that Beijing did not consent to arbitration and would not reconsider its position.
But White House Asia policy director Daniel Kritenbrink said Friday the ruling will be binding on both nations as parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He said that at a recent summit, President Barack Obama and Southeast Asian leaders agreed on the need to respect such legal processes for resolving disputes.
