Six countries fight over 2 islands in the South China Sea. Who will prevail? It reads like an Amazing Race show synopsis but this is the real deal. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague decided in July that China had violated the Philippines' sovereignty with artificial island building. They also had no legal or historical claims on some of these South China Sea islands. We spoke with Dr John Blaxland from ANU about the messy territorial dispute affecting ASEAN.