As expected, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China's expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Manila was exultant. Beijing responded angrily.
Territorial disputes pose a perennial international problem. Great powers, including the United States, typically refuse to be bound by the decisions of others when they believe important interests to be at stake.
The Asia-Pacific region offers particular challenges. The existing territorial and juridical order was established at a time when China was unable to effectively assert its claims or defend its territory. Understandably, Beijing is dissatisfied with the status quo.