This photo taken on Dec. 11, 2015 shows uniquely beautiful winter scenery of the Zhaoshu Island in the South China Sea. (Xinhua file photo/Zhao Yingquan)
It is widely believed that the verdict on the arbitration case against China over South China Sea disputes unilaterally filed by the Philippines will not be legally binding.
China maintains that the tribunal handling of the arbitration proceedings has no jurisdiction over the case, which is in essence about territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation.
Here are some notable opinions on this issue:
Dogu Perincek, chairman of Turkey's Patriotic Party, said the arbitration is "an obvious intervention in regional countries' sovereignty", and that as an independent and sovereign country, China "has no obligation to obey the decision of the international tribunal."
Cambodian Prince Norodom Ranariddh, president of the royalist Funcinpec Party, said: "We, the Funcipec Party, cannot support the Philippines for unilaterally filing the arbitration case."
Former Egyptian Ambassador to China, Mahmoud Allam, said: "The arbitration is apparently unlawful with China being absent. This is common sense in international law."
Surakiart Sathirathai, chairman of Saranrom Institute of Foreign Affairs Foundation and the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council, Thailand, said: "If the country has reservation (for the arbitration) from the very beginning, we have to respect its sovereignty of decision. We can't force that country to bow."
