Beijing, China - China announced on Sunday that they will stage a military drill in the disputed water of South China Sea. The said military drill was announced ahead of an international tribunal ruling over Beijing's maritime claims in the resource-rich area.
The drill 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. The Philippines 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 of the South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighboring countries, 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.
Manila contends that the "9-dash" line has no basis under international law and Beijing has no "historic" claim to the ocean.
Tensions in the South China Sea have alarmed other nations, and most notably the United States which has key defense treaties with many allies in the region, and in a show of strength has sent warships close to some of the Chinese claimed reefs.
The drill 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. The Philippines 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 of the South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighboring countries, 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.
Manila contends that the "9-dash" line has no basis under international law and Beijing has no "historic" claim to the ocean.
Tensions in the South China Sea have alarmed other nations, and most notably the United States which has key defense treaties with many allies in the region, and in a show of strength has sent warships close to some of the Chinese claimed reefs.
But President Xi Jinping said in a speech last week that China will never compromise on sovereignty, and that the country was "not afraid of trouble."
In an apparent stab at the US, Xi said: "We will not show up at other people's front doors to flex our muscles. That does not show strength or scare anyone."
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunie and taiwan also have overlapping claims to the waterway.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunie and taiwan also have overlapping claims to the waterway.
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