In July of 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled on a long-running dispute between China and the Philippines about sovereignty over the strategically-located Scarborough Shoal or the Macclesfield Bank (Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, The Diplomat 6/21/16). In the spring, China indicated that land-reclamation activity at Scarborough Shoal could start within the year, regardless of the PCA ruling (The Diplomat 4/25/16), and President Duterte of the Philippines has indicated that he would not lead his country to war with China over this issue (The Diplomat 6/25/16). For more information on land reclamation in the South China Sea see the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Recommended Questions Will negotiations on a China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) free trade agreement be completed before 1 October 2017? Will there be a lethal confrontation in the South or East China Sea region involving China's and another country's national military forces or law enforcement personnel before 1 January 2017?