Is the world governed by international law? The attitudes of the world's two demographic titans, China and India, on international law are a study in contrast, underscoring that compliance with or defiance of rules is often driven by power dynamics and state character.
Consider China's brazen refusal to respect the recent, legally binding ruling of an international arbitral tribunal that knocked the bottom out of its expansive claims in the South China Sea. Beijing has poured scorn on the ruling, calling it "a farce" and "naturally null and void," and saying it deserved to be "dumped in garbage." The choice insults belie China's loss of face internationally.
Yet, to bring Beijing to heel, there is little that the international community can do — other than punitively restrict imports from China, which no country is willing to do.