Beijing to hold drills in South China sea ahead of court ruling

AFP, BEIJING: China will hold military drills in the disputed South China Sea, the government said Sunday, ahead of an international tribunal ruling over Beijing’s maritime claims in the resource-rich area.
The drills will be held in waters around the Paracel Islands from July 5 to 11, with other ships prohibited from entering the waters during that time, a short statement by the maritime safety administration said.
The military exercises come as an international tribunal in The Hague prepares to rule on a case brought by the Philippines challenging China’s claims in the strategic waterway.
Manila lodged the suit against Beijing in early 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues to settle the dispute.
Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbours, insists that the Permanent Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction over the issue and has boycotted the proceedings.
Basing its claims on a vaguely defined “nine-dash” Chinese map dating back to the 1940s, it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

Beijing to hold drills in South China sea ahead of court ruling

AFP, BEIJING: China will hold military drills in the disputed South China Sea, the government said Sunday, ahead of an international tribunal ruling over Beijings maritime claims in the resource-rich area. The drills will be held in waters around the Paracel Islands from July 5 to 11, with other ships prohibited from entering the waters during that time, a short statement by the maritime safety administration said. The military exercises come as an international tribunal in The Hague prepares to rule on a case brought by the Philippines challenging Chinas claims in the strategic waterway. Manila lodged the suit against Beijing in early 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues to settle the dispute. Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbours, insists that the Permanent Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction over the issue and has boycotted the proceedings. Basing its claims on a vaguely defined nine-dash Chinese map dating back to the 1940s, it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.