No one should expect diplomatic pressure alone to make Beijing abandon a sovereignty claim. A sovereignty claim is therefore more than a legal position awaiting settlement. Its value lies in preserving legal, diplomatic, political and military options for whenever the regional balance changes. Many governments maintain different one-China policies that do not endorse Beijing’s sovereignty claim over Taiwan. The 2016 ruling clarified maritime entitlements, strengthened the Philippines’ legal position and denied legitimacy to expansive claims based on historic rights.