On 22 January 2013, the Republic of the Philippines instituted arbitral proceedings against the People’s Republic of China under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the “Convention”).  The arbitration concerned the role of historic rights and the source of maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, the status of certain maritime features in the South China Sea, and the lawfulness of certain actions by China in the South China Sea that the Philippines alleged to be in violation of the Convention.  China adopted a position of non-acceptance and non-participation in the proceedings.  The Permanent Court of Arbitration served as Registry in this arbitration.

Agent
Solicitor General Jose. C. Calida (replacing Solicitor General Florin T. Hilbay as of 30 June 2016, who replaced Solicitor General Francis H. Jardeleza, as of 2 March 2015)
Office of the Solicitor General, Makati, Republic of the Philippines

Counsel

Paul S. Reichler
Lawrence H. Martin
Andrew B. Loewenstein
Foley Hoag LLP

Professor Bernard H. Oxman
University of Miami School of Law

Professor Philippe Sands QC
Matrix Chambers

Professor Alan Boyle
Essex Court Chambers

China did not appoint an agent. In a Note Verbale to the PCA on 1 August 2013, and throughout the arbitration proceedings, China reiterated “its position that it does not accept the arbitration initiated by the Philippines.”