The United States was behind the Philippines, trying to stir up matters in the South China Sea in order to block China and thus improve its regional military and diplomatic presence, experts said.

They made the remarkas the tribunal in The Hague issued its ruling on Tuesday in the arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government.

The administration of former Philippine president Benigno Aquino was used as a pawn by the US to aid its Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy, they said.