Comicomment: Those who stir up trouble in the South China Sea will capsize

At its core, the "South China Sea arbitration" was a political farce wrapped in legal garb, rendering the resulting "award" thoroughly illegal, null, and void.

The South China Sea is a lifeline linking the Pacific and Indian oceans and ranks as one of the world's most critical sea lanes. The Asia-Pacific region, which encompasses these vital waters, serves as a key engine of global economic growth. Preserving peace here is paramount not just for regional prosperity, but for global development.

China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in the law. China's activities in the South China Sea are fully legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach.

The Philippines and Japan have willingly acted as Washington's proxies, repeatedly stirring up trouble in the South China Sea. Cloaking provocation in the name of the so-called "arbitral award," they are steering a paper boat into rough seas. They won't change the tide—they'll only wreck their own ship on the reefs.