Some 30 international law experts from Asia, Africa, the United States and Europe have warned the South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines could create a terrible precedent for international law.

The group of experts called on the international community to honor the original intention of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and urged relevant parties to resolve disputes through dialogue. A former legal adviser of the US State Department, Abraham Sofaer said the arbitration tribunal's decision to give itself jurisdiction over the case "will broadly undermine the potential utility of international adjudication."