US President Barack Obama warned yesterday an international tribunal’s ruling that China’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea had no legal basis was “binding,” after Beijing vowed to ignore the verdict. “The landmark arbitration ruling in July, which is binding, helped clarify maritime rights in the region,” Obama told a summit of Asian leaders in Laos. Even before Obama’s comments, a dispute between the Philippines and China has overshadowed East and Southeast Asian summits in Laos.

Obama: China must abide by ruling on sea row. (2016, September 9). Philippine Star, p. 8.