On July 12, 2016, an arbitration tribunal in a case the Philippines unilaterally initiated issued a "ruling" denying China's long-standing historical rights in the South China Sea. China has consistently maintained that the "award" is illegal and non-binding. Ten years on, it has only complicated the regional situation further. What makes the it illegitimate, and what has it produced? This explainer breaks it down. (Produced by Zhan Huilan, Ni Tao, and interns Pei Yi and Huang Nanyu; cover image by Li Mingzhi)