Manila has pushed to advance its economic and political interests, based on the ruling of the arbitral tribunal in the disputed waters. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994. As an international treaty, it provides a regulatory framework for using the world's seas and oceans partly to guarantee the conservation and equitable use of resources and the marine environment. Manila claims it as the legal basis for its controversial activities in the waters. But China has dismissed the ruling accusing it of being politically motivated. CGTN reporter Cen Ziyuan has the story.