China, Philippines Agree On One Thing In Tense Maritime Dispute

The U.N. Permanent Court of Arbitration says it will rule Tuesday on the legal basis for China's claim to about 95% of a widely disputed sea off its south coast. The court might say China has no such right because its claim extends beyond the international norm of a 370-km offshore exclusive economic zone. That's why the Philippines, which contests of part of the same ocean, took the case to that U.N. court in The Hague last year. The court may side with Beijing, which cites 2,000 years of historic use as a reason to dominate the South China Sea. Or it may make a softer decision that compels China and the Philippines to work things out on their own.