Full coverage: The South China Sea Issue

A Colombian Asian expert says the arbitration is severely lacking basis in reality, and that China's sovereignty over South China Sea Islands is indisputable.

"For centuries, China has had indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands. There is abundant historic evidence of this. The United States is actually taking advantage of the incident to pick a quarrel. It targets China's legitimate sovereignty in the region from a so-called legal dimension," said Diana Gomez, National University of Colombia.

The expert claimed the award made by the arbitral tribunal was very unwise. She noted the tribunal should consider whether any outside forces are trying to trigger instability in the region. Gomez added that the South China Sea Islands have important economic and political significance. She explained that the islands are a key passageway of the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, linking economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and the world.