The country’s only hope will then lie in considering joint development and management arrangements: if it cannot hold on to it exclusively as integral parts of its territory, then it might at least be able to maintain access to its resources and benefits. It should be clear that if this proceeds under current circumstances, then on balance, even proposed “win-win” solutions like turning Scarborough Shoal into an international protected area will actually turn out to be “win-loss” solutions, for the simple reason that the Philippines thereby accepts the prospects of China’s rights and presence where there used to be none.