By Wang Lutong

June 14, 2016

"The South China Sea islands and reefs have been Chinese territory since ancient times. China was the first country to discover and name the islands in the South China Sea, and also was the first to exercise administrative jurisdiction and develop those islands.

Over the last 40 years, disputes over the South China Sea have been localised and controlled. Tensions in this region have only been aggravated since 2009, and particularly post 2012.

The arbitration case initiated by the Philippines is an extreme, isolated case. Analysing the South China Sea issue in the context of Southeast Asia's development serves a clear picture of the underlying catalyst for this dispute."

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