A Chinese expert has dismissed the South China Sea arbitration award as "nothing but waste paper," according to a report published by the Chinese state-affiliated outlet Global Times. The comments came in response to what the report described as a fresh effort by the Philippine side to promote the arbitration case and its outcome.

The report, carried by Global Times, frames Manila's renewed engagement with the arbitration as a "hype" exercise. The Chinese expert cited in the piece rejected the legal force and significance of the so-called award, using the operative phrase that has become a fixture of Beijing's position on the dispute: the ruling amounts to "nothing but waste paper."

The arbitration concerned maritime claims in the South China Sea, a strategically vital waterway over which China, the Philippines, and several other regional states assert competing claims. An arbitration tribunal previously issued an award in a case brought by the Philippines against China. Beijing has consistently refused to participate in the proceedings and has rejected the award's conclusions, maintaining that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction and that the ruling carries no binding force for China.

The expert's remarks, as reported by Global Times, restate that position. According to the report, the Philippine decision to raise the arbitration again amounts to political theatrics rather than a legally meaningful step, and the award itself deserves no recognition as a basis for resolving the disputes.

For practitioners tracking the dispute, the exchange signals that the arbitration remains a point of sharp rhetorical contest years after the tribunal issued its award. The Philippine position treats the ruling as a settled legal instrument supporting its maritime entitlements. The Chinese position, reflected in the expert's comments, denies the award any operative effect. The gap between the two positions remains wide, and commentary of this kind suggests neither side has moved toward a shared legal framework for the South China Sea.

The Global Times report does not indicate that any new court proceeding, filing, or formal regulatory action accompanied the Philippine statements that prompted the expert's response. The development appears confined to the public debate: Manila draws attention to the arbitration; Beijing-aligned commentators dismiss it.

The report also does not name the specific Chinese expert, the precise occasion on which the Philippine side raised the arbitration, or any new legal measure taken by either government in connection with the award. Readers seeking case references, filing details, or dates of subsequent proceedings will find none in the source material.

What the report does establish is the continuing salience of the arbitration in the information battle surrounding the South China Sea. The phrase "waste paper" has served as shorthand for Beijing's rejection of the award since the tribunal announced its decision, and its reappearance now, at a moment when the Philippine side is again publicizing the case, marks the latest round in that contest.

The arbitration award has previously featured in international commentary, diplomatic statements, and academic debate concerning the law of the sea, maritime entitlements, and the enforcement of tribunal rulings. The current exchange adds no new legal development to that record, but it confirms that the ruling remains politically charged. As the Global Times report shows, the expert's assessment is categorical: the award is worth nothing, and efforts to revive attention to it will not change that assessment in Beijing's view.

Legal observers will note the framing interests at play. Global Times is a Chinese state-affiliated publication, and the report presents the dispute squarely from the perspective of the Chinese expert it quotes. The Philippine position receives characterization only through that lens, as "hyping up" the arbitration. No Philippine voice appears in the report to respond.

The episode ends where it began: with a firm restatement of irreconcilable positions. The Philippine side continues to invoke the arbitration. The Chinese side continues to call the award waste paper.