On July 12, 2016, an illegal and invalid “award” landed, aimed at denying China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

The Philippines rigged the arbitration from start to finish — right down to having its arbitrators chosen by a proxy. It wrote and directed a play, but China refused to play along. Why is this “stage show” — where China was forced to be the lead — a political farce? Ten years later, with tensions running high in the South China Sea, who stands for peace? And who is fanning the flames?