The US urged countries to block the election of China’s candidate for a judge’s position in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) as Washington warned that electing a Chinese official to this body is like hiring an “arsonist” and will hinder international maritime law. US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is running an “uncontested” candidate for a judge’s position on this tribunal at an election currently slated for late August or early September. “Like the arbitral tribunal that ruled against Beijing in 2016, the International Tribunal is established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Electing a PRC official to this body is like hiring an arsonist to help run the fire department,” Stilwell said during the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) virtual forum.

Mendez, C. (2020, July 16). China nominates candidate for int'l sea tribunal judge. The Philippine Star, p. 6.