The arbitration concerned the role of historic rights and the source of maritime entitlements in the South China Sea. By Notification and Statement of Claim dated 22 January 2013, the Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings against China pursuant to.This critical Study analyzes in detail the award on jurisdiction and admissibil- ity of 29 October 2015 and the award of 12 July 2016 in the South China. These submissions and the PhilippinesChina arbitration (addressed below) shape the current political and legal landscape of the disputes. Abstract: The Sino-Philippine Arbitration on the South China Sea (SCS). Disputes is coming to a critical stage. As provided in the Convention, the Tribunal's decision is final and legally binding on both China and the Philippines. On 12 July 2016, the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of the Philippines v.