VietExplorer

Photo: Baoquocte On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague (Netherlands) ruled that China’s claims of historic rights within its so-called “nine-dash line”, which covers more than 80% of the South China Sea, are completely baseless and illegitimate according to the 1982 UNCLOS. The ruling also marks an important milestone to solve the South China Sea issue by peaceful means, and simultaneously affirms the paramount role of international law in dispute settlement. The international community lauded the PCA’s ruling. 40 countries have been reported to announce their support for the arbitration publicly. Then-United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all parties to resolve their disputes in the South China Sea in a peaceful and amicable manner, through dialogue and in conformity with international law. The US stated that the PCA’s ruling was “an important contribution to the common goal of peaceful resolution” of the disputed issues

Many of such walls are in Da Kao Ward, District 1, which are filled with beautiful paintings and flower pots. The products were jointly created by the People’s Committee, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, and the Youth Union of Da Kao Ward as well as local residents to prevent graffiti, ads stuck on walls, and littering. With the same purpose, walls of houses on Dien Bien Phu Street in Da Kao Ward have also been blanketed with pictures about protecting wildlife and fighting the hunt for endangered species. Thanh Duyen, a resident in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, has an artist paint a picture on the front wall of his house on Tran Van Dang Street. Photo : Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre Dang Quoc Bao, head of the southern office of the Vietnam Association of Civil Engineering Environment, whose house’ front is painted beautifully and includes wall planters, said, “The program to plant trees in recycled planters is meaningful and helps eradicate ads plastered on walls, graffit