CMSI Archive Translation: Summary of the Workshop on “The Current Legal Struggle for Rights and Interests in the South China Sea

Authors

Sun Jianzhong

Abstract

This summary reports on a workshop concerning the legal struggle over South China Sea rights, covering China's land reclamation (deemed legitimate but not altering legal status) and the arbitration case. Experts discussed the relationship between the nine dashed line and historic rights, noting that UNCLOS has not fully assimilated (expelled) the historic rights concept. A significant viewpoint stressed that the nine dashed line is a state asset inherited by the PRC government from the Republic of China. The article also notes the potential for the arbitration case to encourage lawsuits against China over ecological harm caused by island and reef construction.

Recommended Citation

Sun Jianzhong (2026) "CMSI Archive Translation: Summary of the Workshop on “The Current Legal Struggle for Rights and Interests in the South China Sea," CMSI Quarterly Review: Vol. 1: No. 3, Article 12.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-quarterly-review/vol1/iss3/12