China is a signatory of the UNCLOS. Yet it views ownership of the South China Sea through the lens of its nine-dash line, a reference to the boundary line that Beijing has invoked since 1948.

China is a signatory of the UNCLOS. Yet it views ownership of the South China Sea through the lens of its nine-dash line, a reference to the boundary line that Beijing has invoked since 1948.

Rather, it is a result of China’s overreach in its nine-, 10- or 11-dash line (it changes according to China’s need), which is illegal, having no basis in international law.