More on WorldViews:5 stories you need to read to understand the South China Sea disputeChinese state media melts down over South China Sea ruling When it comes to the South China Sea, though, the United States and China have competing visions for the future. The South China Sea is one of the world's most strategic bodies of water and remains a vital conduit for a huge proportion of global shipping. Because of the South China Sea's symbolic and strategic importance to China, the tribunal's verdict is a stinging rebuke. The Chinese have long claimed virtually the whole entirety of the South China Sea and the barren rocks and islands within it as their sovereign territory.

Source: Washington Post July 13, 2016 05:26 UTC