广州法律翻译公司：南中国海仲裁案6大看点

South China Sea: what to look out for in the UN tribunal ruling

南中国海仲裁案6大看点

广州法律翻译公司：海牙仲裁庭即将对菲律宾诉中国案作出裁决，该决定将厘清南中国海主权争端的几个核心问题，但也可能激化中美之间的紧张局势。

A UN tribunal is likely to rule soon on a controversial case brought by thePhilippineswhich questions some ofChina’s claims in the South China Sea. Here are six things to watch for in the much-anticipated ruling.

联合国仲裁法院可能很快就对菲律宾提出的一件争议案件作出裁决，本案对中国在南中国海的部分领土主张提出了质疑。以下是这一万众瞩目的裁决的6个看点。广州法律翻译公司。

Why is the case important?

本案为何如此重要？

This is a rare occasion when a highly technical decision by an obscure UN body based in theNetherlandscould be of enormous geopolitical significance. It has both the potential to clarify several issues that are at the heart of the fierce territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but also to provoke increased tensions betweenChinaand theUS.

一个总部设在荷兰的、不起眼的联合国机构，作出的一个技术性很强的决定，却可能产生重大地缘意义，这是很少有的。该决定既有可能澄清围绕南中国海产生的激烈领土争端中的几个核心问题，但也可能激化中美之间的紧张局势。广州法律翻译公司。

What is the background?

本案的背景是什么？

In 2013, thePhilippinesbrought its case to the International Tribunal for the law of the Sea at The Hague. It submitted 15 different items where it saysChina’s claims and activity in the South China Sea are contrary to international law.

2013年，菲律宾向海牙国际海洋法法庭提交诉讼。菲律宾提出了15项指控，称中国在南中国海的主张和活动违反了国际法。

Chinahas refused to take part in the case and has challenged the court’s authority, but last year, the tribunal said it had jurisdiction on at least seven of the claims and was still making up its mind on the other eight. Many experts expect the court to rule againstChinaon a number of the cases.

中国拒绝参与本案审理，并质疑仲裁法庭的权威。但仲裁法庭在去年表示至少对7项指控拥有司法管辖权，而且他们仍在对其他8项作决定。许多专家预计仲裁庭会在部分案件中作出不利于中国的裁决。广州法律翻译公司。

What are the legal implications?

本案的法律意义是什么？

It is important to emphasise that the tribunal in The Hague is not adjudicating on the competing sovereignty claims in the South China Sea; only on the maritime rights that are attached to those claims.

需要着重强调的一点是，海牙常设仲裁法院裁定的并不是围绕南中国海的争议性主权要求，而只是与这些要求相关的海洋权益。

One of the main planks of thePhilippinescase is to question the legal validity ofChina’s “Nine-Dash Line” — the dotted boundary on a map that claims as much as 90 per cent of the South China Sea. Experts say that the court could declare the Nine-Dash Line as effectively illegal or could question it in ways that would obligeChinato clarify the legal basis of the line — somethingChinahas been reluctant to do.

菲律宾诉中国仲裁案的一个主要的点，是质疑中国“九段线”——地图上断续的几段国界线，对90%的南中国海提出领土主张——的法律效力。专家们表示海牙仲裁法院可以宣布“九段线”实际无效，也可能从多个方面对“九段线”提出质疑，从而迫使中国澄清其法律依据，而这一行为是中国一直拒绝进行的。广州法律翻译公司。

Other aspects of the case are more esoteric. The court will be decide whether several land features — some of which China has already turned into man-made islands — are to be treated as “low-tide elevations”, which enjoy no territorial waters, “rocks”, which have a 12 mile territorial sea or “islands” which enjoy a 200 mile exclusive economic zone. Many experts believe the court will say that some ofChina’s man-made islands have no legal claim on the surrounding waters.

本案还有其他更深奥的方面。仲裁庭将决定几个地物——中国已将其中一部分变成了人工岛屿——到底是属于没有领海的“低潮高地”(low-tide elevations)，还是拥有12海里领海的“礁石”(rocks)，还是享有200海里专属经济区的“群岛”(islands)。许多专家认为仲裁庭会宣布中国的一些人工岛对周边海域不享有合法要求。

What does that mean in practice?

本案有何实际意义？

The UN tribunal has no powers of enforcement. It cannot obligeChinato do anything and Beijing will not withdraw from any of its new artificial islands. But if the ruling favours thePhilippines,Chinarisks more reputational damage and regional isolation if it ignores the court and continues to pursue its claims. The Obama administration is already framing the ruling as a test of whetherChinarespects international law.

联合国仲裁法院没有执法权，不能迫使中国做任何事，北京也不会从任一个新的人工岛屿上撤离。但如果裁决有利于菲律宾，中国若无视仲裁庭并继续奉行其主张，不但名誉上会受到更多损害，还会遭到区域性孤立。奥巴马(Obama)政府已表示该裁决是对中国是否尊重国际法的一次考验。广州法律翻译公司。

How willChinarespond?

中国将如何应对？

As well as rejecting the tribunal’s authority,Chinahas been trying to rally international support for its view that the tribunal ruling is illegitimate. Beijing claims it already has 60 supporters, however the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, says that only eight governments have declared their backing in public — including land-locked nations such as Lesotho and Afghanistan. If the ruling goes against it,Chinacould seek ways to punish thePhilippines, perhaps by informally limiting tourists or imports.

中国除了否认仲裁法院的权威性，还一直为其观点——即仲裁法院的判决是非法的——努力争取国际支持。北京宣称已拥有60个支持者，但位于华盛顿的智库、战略与国际研究中心(Center for Strategic and International Studies)表示，只有8国政府公开宣布支持，其中包括莱索托和阿富汗这样的内陆国家。如果裁决不利于中国，中国可能会寻求种种方式来惩罚菲律宾，或许是非正式限制游客或进口。

What about theUS?

美国对此案有何表示？

The biggest risk is that China lashes out at a negative ruling and decides to escalate its military ambitions in the South China Sea, either by declaring control over the airspace in the region or by seeking to build an artificial island on Scarborough Shoal — another land feature also claimed by the Philippines.

最大的风险是中国对不利裁决作出猛烈抨击，并决定升级在南中国海的军事抱负，中国可能会对该海域领空宣称拥有控制权，也可能寻求在斯卡伯勒浅滩（Scarborough Shoal，中国称黄岩岛——译者注）上建造一座人工岛屿，该浅滩也是菲律宾主张的地物之一。

In anticipation of a more aggressive Chinese reaction, theUShas sent significant military assets to the region, including a visit by an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea and fighter jets to thePhilippines. The message to Beijing has been that any move on Scarborough Shoal will be met with a substantialUSresponse. However, these military preparations underline the potential for the South China Sea to generate much sharper competition between theUSandChina.

由于预计中国会作出较强硬的回应，美国已向该地区派出显著军事力量，包括曾驶入南中国海的一艘航空母舰，以及在菲律宾部署战斗机群。美国向北京方面传递出一条信息：中方一旦在斯卡伯勒浅滩有所举动，美方必将作出实质性回应。不过这些军事准备凸显了南中国海的一个前景：美国与中国之间将产生更激烈的竞争。

广州法律翻译公司