Rule of law looks shakier 10 years after South China Sea ruling

South China SeaChina keeps ramping up pressure on Philippines over disputed territoryAerial photos show Fiery Cross Reef in November 2024 and June 2026, as China works to cement its presence in the South China Sea with a port and a 3,000‑meter runway on the Spratly outpost. (Source photos by CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/Vantor and Planet Labs)YUKI FUJITA and AKIRA KITADOJuly 13, 2026 13:22 JSTMANILA/TOKYO -- A decade after an arbitration court ruled against China's claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, Chinese pressure on the Philippines has only intensified, while U.S. military interventions elsewhere threaten to undermine the rule of law more broadly.