Southeast Asian nations were deadlocked today over how to confront sabre-rattling in the South China Sea as pressure from Beijing again drove a wedge between countries on the region&#39;s most contentious security issue. 
 
The gathering in Vientiane is the first time regional players -- including China and the United States -- have met en masse since a UN-backed tribunal delivered a hammer blow to Beijing&#39;s claim to vast swathes of the strategic sea. 
 
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) boasts four countries who have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the strategic sea and is fiercely divided on the issue. 
 
Rival claimants have accused China of deftly forging alliances with smaller countries like Laos, this year&#39;s host, and Cambodia through aid and loans to divide the the once consensus-driven bloc. 
 
Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of ASEAN discord when countries swiftly disowned a joint statement released by Malaysia after an ASEAN-China meeting. 
 
That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing&#39;s activities in the South China Sea. Cambodia and Laos were later fingered as being behind moves to block the joint statement. 
 
&#39;Back to negotiation table&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Those divisions were on stark display once more in the Laos capital with insiders accusing Cambodia of scuppering moves to include a response to the tribunal ruling in a joint communique, expected at the end of today&#39;s meeting. 
 
&quot;We need to put our house in order,&quot; one diplomat involved in discussions told AFP today. &quot;But we still have not agreed on anything.&quot; 
 
Another ASEAN diplomat added: &quot;We remain deadlocked. We&#39;re back to the negotiating table.&quot; 
 
A working draft of the current joint communique obtained by AFP on Saturday showed the section titled &quot;South China Sea&quot; as blank. 
 
The impasse in Vientiane has led to fears of a repeat of a 2012 summit in Cambodia where the bloc failed to issue a joint statement for the first time in its history because of disagreements over the South China Sea. A failure by ASEAN to respond to the tribunal will do little to counter criticism that the bloc risks veering into obscurity as a talking shop with little real diplomatic clout. 
 
The UN tribunal ruling earlier this month infuriated Beijing but was a victory for the Philippines, which brought the case, and fellow ASEAN members Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia who also claim parts of the South China Sea. 
 
The bloc&#39;s paralysis on how to respond comes as China ratchets up its rhetoric and military manoeuvres in the sea whilst hitting out at the US which has backed rival claimants and argued for free passage through what it considers international waters. 
 
US likely to push ASEAN to ease tensions&nbsp; 
 
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Laos tommorow&nbsp;morning. It is not yet clear whether he will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi who is also attending. 
 
A State Department official over the weekend said the US would push for ASEAN to ease tensions over the South China Sea and find common ground. 
 
But Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin warned ASEAN against being influence by outside powers, a clear rebuke to Washington. 
 
&quot;They (ASEAN) should in particular guard against the intervention in regional cooperation by big powers outside the region,&quot; he said according to the Xinhua news agency. 
 
ASEAN boasts a diverse array of countries ranging from communist one party states like Laos, to the Islamic sultanate of Brunei, military junta-led Thailand and raucous democracies like Indonesia and the Philippines. 
 
Its ability to deal with Beijing is seen as a litmus test for whether it can jointly confront other pressing regional challenges outside of trade. 
 
At the summit opening Laos foreign minister Saleumxay Kommasith listed the hurdles facing the bloc as &quot;territorial disputes, extremism and terrorism, natural disasters, climate change... refugee issues&quot;. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

10-member ASEAN boasts four countries who have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the strategic sea

Southeast Asian nations were deadlocked today over how to confront sabre-rattling in the South China Sea as pressure from Beijing again drove a wedge between countries on the region's most contentious security issue. The gathering in Vientiane is the first time regional players -- including China and the United States -- have met en masse since a UN-backed tribunal delivered a hammer blow to Beijing's claim to vast swathes of the strategic sea. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) boasts four countries who have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the strategic sea and is fiercely divided on the issue. Rival claimants have accused China of deftly forging alliances with smaller countries like Laos, this year's host, and Cambodia through aid and loans to divide the the once consensus-driven bloc. Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of ASEAN discord when countries swiftly disowned a joint statement released by Malaysia after an ASEAN-China meeting. That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing's activities in the South China Sea. Cambodia and Laos were later fingered as being behind moves to block the joint statement. 'Back to negotiation table' Those divisions were on stark display once more in the Laos capital with insiders accusing Cambodia of scuppering moves to include a response to the tribunal ruling in a joint communique, expected at the end of today's meeting. "We need to put our house in order," one diplomat involved in discussions told AFP today. "But we still have not agreed on anything." Another ASEAN diplomat added: "We remain deadlocked. We're back to the negotiating table." A working draft of the current joint communique obtained by AFP on Saturday showed the section titled "South China Sea" as blank. The impasse in Vientiane has led to fears of a repeat of a 2012 summit in Cambodia where the bloc failed to issue a joint statement for the first time in its history because of disagreements over the South China Sea. A failure by ASEAN to respond to the tribunal will do little to counter criticism that the bloc risks veering into obscurity as a talking shop with little real diplomatic clout. The UN tribunal ruling earlier this month infuriated Beijing but was a victory for the Philippines, which brought the case, and fellow ASEAN members Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia who also claim parts of the South China Sea. The bloc's paralysis on how to respond comes as China ratchets up its rhetoric and military manoeuvres in the sea whilst hitting out at the US which has backed rival claimants and argued for free passage through what it considers international waters. US likely to push ASEAN to ease tensions US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Laos tommorow morning. It is not yet clear whether he will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi who is also attending. A State Department official over the weekend said the US would push for ASEAN to ease tensions over the South China Sea and find common ground. But Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin warned ASEAN against being influence by outside powers, a clear rebuke to Washington. "They (ASEAN) should in particular guard against the intervention in regional cooperation by big powers outside the region," he said according to the Xinhua news agency. ASEAN boasts a diverse array of countries ranging from communist one party states like Laos, to the Islamic sultanate of Brunei, military junta-led Thailand and raucous democracies like Indonesia and the Philippines. Its ability to deal with Beijing is seen as a litmus test for whether it can jointly confront other pressing regional challenges outside of trade. At the summit opening Laos foreign minister Saleumxay Kommasith listed the hurdles facing the bloc as "territorial disputes, extremism and terrorism, natural disasters, climate change... refugee issues". (AFP)

South China sea split deepens at ASEAN summit

US military forces will continue to operate in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, the US chief of naval operations John Richardson said today during a visit to a Chinese naval base. 
 
China has refused to recognise a ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague that invalidated its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, and did not take part in the proceedings brought by the Philippines.&nbsp;Speaking in Sydney today, US vice president Joe Biden assured key ally Australia there would be no retreat from Washington&#39;s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, regardless of who wins November&#39;s presidential election. 
 
China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually.&nbsp;China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all have rival claims, of which China&#39;s is the largest. 
 
The United States has conducted freedom of navigation patrols close to Chinese-held islands, to Beijing&#39;s anger, while China has been bolstering its military presence there. 
 
Meeting Yuan Yubai, commander of the Chinese North Sea fleet, Richardson &quot;underscored the importance of lawful and safe operations in the South China and elsewhere professional navies operate&quot;, the US Navy said. 
 
US forces would keep sailing, flying and operating wherever international law allows, Richardson added.&nbsp;&quot;The US Navy will continue to conduct routine and lawful operations around the world, including in the South China Sea, in order to protect the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of sea and airspace guaranteed to all. This will not change.&quot; 
 
Freedom of navigation patrols carried out by foreign navies in the South China Sea could end &quot;in disaster&quot;, a senior Chinese admiral said over the weekend.&nbsp;State news agency Xinhua said today that countries outside the region should stay out of the South China Sea issue lest they cause unwanted problems. 
 
&quot;Western countries have a long history of failing to establish orderly rule over parts of the world. The Middle East is a classic example,&quot; it said. 
 
Richardson said he was supportive of the deepening of relations between the US and Chinese navies.&nbsp;&quot;But I will be continuously reassessing my support conditioned on continued safe and professional interactions at sea. In this area we must judge each other by our deeds and actions, not just by our words,&quot; he added. 
 
The United States has complained that Chinese aircraft and ships have performed &quot;unsafe&quot; manoeuvres while shadowing US ships and planes, particularly in the South China Sea. 
 
(Reuters)

US Navy has conducted freedom of navigation patrols close to Chinese-held islands, to Beijing's anger

US military forces will continue to operate in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, the US chief of naval operations John Richardson said today during a visit to a Chinese naval base. China has refused to recognise a ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague that invalidated its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, and did not take part in the proceedings brought by the Philippines. Speaking in Sydney today, US vice president Joe Biden assured key ally Australia there would be no retreat from Washington's pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, regardless of who wins November's presidential election. China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all have rival claims, of which China's is the largest. The United States has conducted freedom of navigation patrols close to Chinese-held islands, to Beijing's anger, while China has been bolstering its military presence there. Meeting Yuan Yubai, commander of the Chinese North Sea fleet, Richardson "underscored the importance of lawful and safe operations in the South China and elsewhere professional navies operate", the US Navy said. US forces would keep sailing, flying and operating wherever international law allows, Richardson added. "The US Navy will continue to conduct routine and lawful operations around the world, including in the South China Sea, in order to protect the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of sea and airspace guaranteed to all. This will not change." Freedom of navigation patrols carried out by foreign navies in the South China Sea could end "in disaster", a senior Chinese admiral said over the weekend. State news agency Xinhua said today that countries outside the region should stay out of the South China Sea issue lest they cause unwanted problems. "Western countries have a long history of failing to establish orderly rule over parts of the world. The Middle East is a classic example," it said. Richardson said he was supportive of the deepening of relations between the US and Chinese navies. "But I will be continuously reassessing my support conditioned on continued safe and professional interactions at sea. In this area we must judge each other by our deeds and actions, not just by our words," he added. The United States has complained that Chinese aircraft and ships have performed "unsafe" manoeuvres while shadowing US ships and planes, particularly in the South China Sea. (Reuters)

US says its forces will keep operating in South China Sea

Beijing will &quot;never&quot; stop building in the South China Sea prematurely, a top military official has vowed, despite an international ruling that its actions were illegal. 
 
The pushback came as China launched war games in waters in the strategically vital region, where diplomatic tensions are high. 
 
&quot;We will never stop our construction on the Nansha Islands halfway,&quot; Wu Shengli, the commander of the People&#39;s Liberation Army Navy, told US counterpart Admiral John Richardson, according to the official Xinhua news agency. 
 
Nansha is China&#39;s name for the Spratlys, where Beijing has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands with facilities capable of military use, including extensive runways. 
 
The reef system has multiple claimants in the region. 
 
&quot;The Nansha Islands are China&#39;s inherent territory, and our necessary construction on the islands is reasonable, justified and lawful,&quot; Wu added. 
 
China dismissed Hague ruling as &#39;piece of waste paper&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague last week ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing&#39;s claims to much of the South China Sea, embodied in a &quot;nine-dash line&quot; that dates from 1940s maps and stretches close to other countries&#39; coasts. 
 
Its extensive decision also said that China&#39;s construction on Mischief Reef had &quot;violated the Philippines&#39; sovereign rights with respect to its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf&quot;. 
 
Manila -- which lodged the suit against Beijing -- welcomed the decision but China dismissed it as a &quot;piece of waste paper&quot;. 
 
Wu said Beijing would not be intimated over the issue, adding: &quot;Any attempt to force China to give in through flexing military muscles will only have the opposite effect.&quot; 
 
Despite Chinese objections, the European Union weighed in on the subject at a regional summit last weekend, with President Donald Tusk telling reporters the bloc &quot;will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law&quot;, adding that it had &quot;full confidence&quot; in the PCA and its decisions. 
 
China pressured countries in the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations not to issue a joint statement on the ruling, diplomats said. 
 
The US, Japan and Australia, amongst others, have urged Beijing to fall into line and respect the tribunal&#39;s ruling. 
 
&#39;Flexing military muscles&#39;&nbsp; 
 
An area off the east coast of China&#39;s island province of Hainan will host military exercises from Tuesday to Thursday, China&#39;s maritime administration said on its website, adding that entrance was &quot;prohibited&quot;. 
 
The area of sea identified is some distance from the Paracel islands and even further from the Spratlys. 
 
Beijing held military drills in the South China Sea just days before the international arbitration court ruling, state media reported. 
 
A combat air patrol was mounted over the sea recently and these would become a regular practice in future, an air force spokesman said separately. 
 
Bombers, fighters and other aircraft were sent to patrol islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao -- the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal -- spokesman Shen Jinke was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying. 
 
Scarborough Shoal is disputed with the Philippines and is seen as a particular flashpoint. 
 
In a separate message on its website, the maritime administration said last week that four out of five lighthouses built atop islands and reefs in the sea have been activated, and a fifth would be put into use soon. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The pushback came as China launched war games in waters in the strategically vital region, where diplomatic tensions are high

Beijing will "never" stop building in the South China Sea prematurely, a top military official has vowed, despite an international ruling that its actions were illegal. The pushback came as China launched war games in waters in the strategically vital region, where diplomatic tensions are high. "We will never stop our construction on the Nansha Islands halfway," Wu Shengli, the commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy, told US counterpart Admiral John Richardson, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Nansha is China's name for the Spratlys, where Beijing has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands with facilities capable of military use, including extensive runways. The reef system has multiple claimants in the region. "The Nansha Islands are China's inherent territory, and our necessary construction on the islands is reasonable, justified and lawful," Wu added. China dismissed Hague ruling as 'piece of waste paper' The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague last week ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing's claims to much of the South China Sea, embodied in a "nine-dash line" that dates from 1940s maps and stretches close to other countries' coasts. Its extensive decision also said that China's construction on Mischief Reef had "violated the Philippines' sovereign rights with respect to its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf". Manila -- which lodged the suit against Beijing -- welcomed the decision but China dismissed it as a "piece of waste paper". Wu said Beijing would not be intimated over the issue, adding: "Any attempt to force China to give in through flexing military muscles will only have the opposite effect." Despite Chinese objections, the European Union weighed in on the subject at a regional summit last weekend, with President Donald Tusk telling reporters the bloc "will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law", adding that it had "full confidence" in the PCA and its decisions. China pressured countries in the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations not to issue a joint statement on the ruling, diplomats said. The US, Japan and Australia, amongst others, have urged Beijing to fall into line and respect the tribunal's ruling. 'Flexing military muscles' An area off the east coast of China's island province of Hainan will host military exercises from Tuesday to Thursday, China's maritime administration said on its website, adding that entrance was "prohibited". The area of sea identified is some distance from the Paracel islands and even further from the Spratlys. Beijing held military drills in the South China Sea just days before the international arbitration court ruling, state media reported. A combat air patrol was mounted over the sea recently and these would become a regular practice in future, an air force spokesman said separately. Bombers, fighters and other aircraft were sent to patrol islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao -- the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal -- spokesman Shen Jinke was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying. Scarborough Shoal is disputed with the Philippines and is seen as a particular flashpoint. In a separate message on its website, the maritime administration said last week that four out of five lighthouses built atop islands and reefs in the sea have been activated, and a fifth would be put into use soon. (AFP)

Despite Hague ruling, Beijing vows to continue South China Sea construction

The Philippines has turned down a Chinese proposal to intiate bilateral talks on their South China Sea dispute, citing Beijing&#39;s pre-condition of not discussing a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that nullified most of its claims.&nbsp; 
 
Manila has rejected Beijing&#39;s demand that it &quot;disregard&quot; the international ruling that invalidated the Asian giant&#39;s claims to much of the South China Sea before proceeding to the negotiating table. 
 
Following the decision, Beijing asked Manila, which brought the case, &quot;to open ourselves for bilateral negotiations but outside of and in disregard of the arbitral ruling&quot;, foreign minister Perfecto Yasay told broadcaster ABS-CBN. 
 
Philippines foreign minister Perfecto Yasay said the meeting only goes to prove that discussions on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea was a no-go area, with China&#39;s current stand. 
 
&quot;This is something that I told him was not consistent with our constitution and our national interest,&quot; he said. 
 
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have made rival claims. 
 
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) had ruled that Beijing had violated the Philippines&#39; sovereign right to exploit resources in waters up to 340 kilometres (230 miles) beyond its coast, called its exclusive economic zone. 
 
It said there was no legal basis to China&#39;s claims to much of the sea embodied in a &quot;nine-dash line&quot; dating from 1940s maps. 
 
Yasay&#39;s comments were more forceful than previous Philippine reactions, with its new President Rodrigo Duterte keen to restore relations with Beijing and promising not to &quot;taunt or flaunt&quot; the verdict. 
 
China had angrily rejected the verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and termed the initial case as illegal and farcical. It has refused to compromise from its approach or its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. 
 
&quot;They (China) said if you will insist on the ruling, discussing it along those lines, then we might be headed for a confrontation,&quot; Yasay said during an interview with the news channel of broadcaster ABS-CBN. 
 
World leaders urge China to respect Hague ruling&nbsp; 
 
At an Asia-Europe summit in Mongolia at the weekend, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Union President Donald Tusk took China to task for its refusal to respect the decision. 
 
Philippines fears several challenges lie ahead in getting China to comply with the decision which has ramped up tensions in the vital trade route. 
 
&quot;But I really honestly feel that this is something they have to make on a public basis, but I also sensed there was room for us to talk very quietly using backdoor channelling,&quot; expressing hope of finding a resolution to the long-standing dispute. 
 
Direct talks were unlikely soon in the light of Beijing&#39;s refusal to accept the ruling, Yasay said 
 
&#39;Let the dust settle&#39;&nbsp; 
 
On Tuesday, China launched war games in waters some distance north of the contested area. 
 
Beijing has built a series of artificial islands in the sea capable of supporting military operations, and a top Chinese military official told a visiting US admiral this week that it would &quot;never stop our construction&quot; prematurely. 
 
The project has raised concerns that Beijing may seek to hamper the free movement of ships and aircraft through the region, and may even create an air defence identification zone over the sea, which would seek to put restrictions on foreign planes. 
 
A combat air patrol was mounted over the sea recently and they will become a regular practice in future, an air force spokesman said separately, according to the official news agency Xinhua. 
 
China seized Scarborough Shoal -- known as Huangyan Dao in Chinese -- in 2012 after a brief stand-off with the Philippine navy. Manila lodged suit at the tribunal the following year. 
 
China&#39;s coastguard was preventing Filipino boats from fishing around Scarborough Shoal, fishermen and officials said on Friday, and China&#39;s air force has released pictures showing bombers recently flying over the area. 
 
Duterte&#39;s &quot;first and foremost&quot; priority was to regain access to Scarborough Shoal for Filipino fishermen, Yasay said. 
 
The new President said last week that he would send former president Fidel Ramos to China to start talks on the ruling, but Yasay did not know if Ramos would accept and did not know when that mission could be dispatched. 
 
&quot;Let the dust settle some more and let&#39;s see how we can open up the road for this kind of negotiation,&quot; Yasay added. 
In the long term, he said, Manila had not ruled out the possibility of giving China a role as a contractor when the government moves to exploit the resources, including natural gas, in its exclusive economic zone. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Beijing agreed to open negotiations with Manila, but set the pre-condition that The Hague ruling be disregarded

The Philippines has turned down a Chinese proposal to intiate bilateral talks on their South China Sea dispute, citing Beijing's pre-condition of not discussing a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that nullified most of its claims. Manila has rejected Beijing's demand that it "disregard" the international ruling that invalidated the Asian giant's claims to much of the South China Sea before proceeding to the negotiating table. Following the decision, Beijing asked Manila, which brought the case, "to open ourselves for bilateral negotiations but outside of and in disregard of the arbitral ruling", foreign minister Perfecto Yasay told broadcaster ABS-CBN. Philippines foreign minister Perfecto Yasay said the meeting only goes to prove that discussions on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea was a no-go area, with China's current stand. "This is something that I told him was not consistent with our constitution and our national interest," he said. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have made rival claims. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) had ruled that Beijing had violated the Philippines' sovereign right to exploit resources in waters up to 340 kilometres (230 miles) beyond its coast, called its exclusive economic zone. It said there was no legal basis to China's claims to much of the sea embodied in a "nine-dash line" dating from 1940s maps. Yasay's comments were more forceful than previous Philippine reactions, with its new President Rodrigo Duterte keen to restore relations with Beijing and promising not to "taunt or flaunt" the verdict. China had angrily rejected the verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and termed the initial case as illegal and farcical. It has refused to compromise from its approach or its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. "They (China) said if you will insist on the ruling, discussing it along those lines, then we might be headed for a confrontation," Yasay said during an interview with the news channel of broadcaster ABS-CBN. World leaders urge China to respect Hague ruling At an Asia-Europe summit in Mongolia at the weekend, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Union President Donald Tusk took China to task for its refusal to respect the decision. Philippines fears several challenges lie ahead in getting China to comply with the decision which has ramped up tensions in the vital trade route. "But I really honestly feel that this is something they have to make on a public basis, but I also sensed there was room for us to talk very quietly using backdoor channelling," expressing hope of finding a resolution to the long-standing dispute. Direct talks were unlikely soon in the light of Beijing's refusal to accept the ruling, Yasay said 'Let the dust settle' On Tuesday, China launched war games in waters some distance north of the contested area. Beijing has built a series of artificial islands in the sea capable of supporting military operations, and a top Chinese military official told a visiting US admiral this week that it would "never stop our construction" prematurely. The project has raised concerns that Beijing may seek to hamper the free movement of ships and aircraft through the region, and may even create an air defence identification zone over the sea, which would seek to put restrictions on foreign planes. A combat air patrol was mounted over the sea recently and they will become a regular practice in future, an air force spokesman said separately, according to the official news agency Xinhua. China seized Scarborough Shoal -- known as Huangyan Dao in Chinese -- in 2012 after a brief stand-off with the Philippine navy. Manila lodged suit at the tribunal the following year. China's coastguard was preventing Filipino boats from fishing around Scarborough Shoal, fishermen and officials said on Friday, and China's air force has released pictures showing bombers recently flying over the area. Duterte's "first and foremost" priority was to regain access to Scarborough Shoal for Filipino fishermen, Yasay said. The new President said last week that he would send former president Fidel Ramos to China to start talks on the ruling, but Yasay did not know if Ramos would accept and did not know when that mission could be dispatched. "Let the dust settle some more and let's see how we can open up the road for this kind of negotiation," Yasay added. In the long term, he said, Manila had not ruled out the possibility of giving China a role as a contractor when the government moves to exploit the resources, including natural gas, in its exclusive economic zone. (AFP)

South China Sea: Philippines rejects Chinese conditions to talk

Beijing will close off access to part of the South China Sea for military drills, officials said today, after an international tribunal ruled against its sweeping claims in the waters. 
 
An area off the east coast of China&#39;s island province of Hainan will host military exercises from Tuesday to Thursday, China&#39;s maritime administration said on its website, adding that entrance was &quot;prohibited&quot;. 
 
The area of sea identified is some distance from the Paracel islands and even further from the Spratlys, with both chains claimed by Beijing and several other neighbouring states. 
 
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague last week ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing&#39;s claims to much of the sea, embodied in a &quot;nine-dash line&quot; that dates from 1940s maps and stretches close to other countries coasts. 
 
Manila - which lodged the suit against Beijing - welcomed the decision, as China dismissed it as a &quot;piece of waste paper&quot;. 
 
Despite Chinese objections, the European Union weighed in on the subject at a regional summit this weekend, with president Donald Tusk telling reporters that the grouping &quot;will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law&quot;, adding that it had &quot;full confidence&quot; in the PCA and its decisions. 
 
China pressured countries in the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations not to issue a joint statement on the ruling, diplomats said. 
 
Beijing held military drills in the South China Sea just days before the international arbitration court ruling, state media reported. 
 
China has rapidly built reefs in the waters into artificial islands capable of military use. 
 
In a separate message on its website, the maritime administration said last week that four out of five lighthouses built atop islands and reefs in the sea have been activated, and a fifth would be put into use soon. 
 
(AFP)

The exercises will be held from Tuesday to Thursday, an area off the east coast of Hainan island. 'Entrance is prohibited', warned China

Beijing will close off access to part of the South China Sea for military drills, officials said today, after an international tribunal ruled against its sweeping claims in the waters. An area off the east coast of China's island province of Hainan will host military exercises from Tuesday to Thursday, China's maritime administration said on its website, adding that entrance was "prohibited". The area of sea identified is some distance from the Paracel islands and even further from the Spratlys, with both chains claimed by Beijing and several other neighbouring states. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague last week ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing's claims to much of the sea, embodied in a "nine-dash line" that dates from 1940s maps and stretches close to other countries coasts. Manila - which lodged the suit against Beijing - welcomed the decision, as China dismissed it as a "piece of waste paper". Despite Chinese objections, the European Union weighed in on the subject at a regional summit this weekend, with president Donald Tusk telling reporters that the grouping "will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law", adding that it had "full confidence" in the PCA and its decisions. China pressured countries in the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations not to issue a joint statement on the ruling, diplomats said. Beijing held military drills in the South China Sea just days before the international arbitration court ruling, state media reported. China has rapidly built reefs in the waters into artificial islands capable of military use. In a separate message on its website, the maritime administration said last week that four out of five lighthouses built atop islands and reefs in the sea have been activated, and a fifth would be put into use soon. (AFP)

No access to South China Sea as Beijing holds military drills, despite the Hague ruling

China may build mobile nuclear power plants in the South China Sea, state media reported on Friday, days after an international tribunal dismissed Beijing&#39;s vast claims in the strategically vital waters. 
 
&quot;Marine nuclear power platform construction will be used to support China&#39;s effective control in the South China Sea,&quot; the website of the state-run Global Times cited the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) as saying on a social media account. 
 
The Global Times cited the report as saying that &quot;marine nuclear power platforms will be used&quot; in the islands and reefs of the Spratly chain in the contested sea &quot;to ensure freshwater&quot;. 
 
The original report was deleted from CNNC&#39;s account on social media platform WeChat on Friday, and a staffer at the firm told AFP that it &quot;needed to confirm&quot; its accuracy. 
 
&quot;In the past, the freshwater provision to troops stationed in the South China Sea could not be guaranteed, and could only be provided by boats delivering barrels of water,&quot; the Global Times cited the report as saying. 
 
&quot;In the future, as the South China Sea electricity and power system is strengthened, China will speed up the commercial development of the South China Sea region,&quot; it added. 
 
China has rapidly built up reefs in the sea into artificial islands in recent months, installing civilian and military facilities on them. 
 
The report comes after a Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal on Tuesday backed the Philippines&#39; case that there was no legal basis for Beijing&#39;s maritime claims which extend almost to the coasts of neighbouring states. 
 
It also found that China&#39;s activities had inflicted severe damage to fragile coral ecosystems and caused serious harm to endangered species.&nbsp; 
 
China has insisted that it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals that increasing pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waters into a &quot;cradle of war&quot;. 
 
The state-backed website The Paper on Friday quoted China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) engineer Zhu Hanchao as saying that 20 marine nuclear platforms were in development. 
 
But Zhu added that they would be deployed to oilfields in the Bohai Sea off China&#39;s northeast coast, not in the South China Sea. CSIC could not immediately be reached for comment. 
 
Beijing included the development of two marine nuclear power plants, to be built by CNNC and the China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) respectively, in its five-year plan for 2016-2020, both companies announced this year. 
 
It did not specify where the marine facilities would be constructed. 
 
The CNNC plant is expected to start operation in 2019 and CGN&#39;s the following year, according to their statements. 
 
Nuclear power is already used at sea for aircraft carriers and submarines, but doing so for civilian purposes appears to be unprecedented. A similar Russian project is reportedly already under construction. 
 
(AFP)

A state-run newspaper reported that nuclear power platforms will be used in the islands of the Spratly chain to ensure freshwater

China may build mobile nuclear power plants in the South China Sea, state media reported on Friday, days after an international tribunal dismissed Beijing's vast claims in the strategically vital waters. "Marine nuclear power platform construction will be used to support China's effective control in the South China Sea," the website of the state-run Global Times cited the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) as saying on a social media account. The Global Times cited the report as saying that "marine nuclear power platforms will be used" in the islands and reefs of the Spratly chain in the contested sea "to ensure freshwater". The original report was deleted from CNNC's account on social media platform WeChat on Friday, and a staffer at the firm told AFP that it "needed to confirm" its accuracy. "In the past, the freshwater provision to troops stationed in the South China Sea could not be guaranteed, and could only be provided by boats delivering barrels of water," the Global Times cited the report as saying. "In the future, as the South China Sea electricity and power system is strengthened, China will speed up the commercial development of the South China Sea region," it added. China has rapidly built up reefs in the sea into artificial islands in recent months, installing civilian and military facilities on them. The report comes after a Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal on Tuesday backed the Philippines' case that there was no legal basis for Beijing's maritime claims which extend almost to the coasts of neighbouring states. It also found that China's activities had inflicted severe damage to fragile coral ecosystems and caused serious harm to endangered species. China has insisted that it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals that increasing pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waters into a "cradle of war". The state-backed website The Paper on Friday quoted China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) engineer Zhu Hanchao as saying that 20 marine nuclear platforms were in development. But Zhu added that they would be deployed to oilfields in the Bohai Sea off China's northeast coast, not in the South China Sea. CSIC could not immediately be reached for comment. Beijing included the development of two marine nuclear power plants, to be built by CNNC and the China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) respectively, in its five-year plan for 2016-2020, both companies announced this year. It did not specify where the marine facilities would be constructed. The CNNC plant is expected to start operation in 2019 and CGN's the following year, according to their statements. Nuclear power is already used at sea for aircraft carriers and submarines, but doing so for civilian purposes appears to be unprecedented. A similar Russian project is reportedly already under construction. (AFP)

China 'may build nuclear plants' in South China Sea: Media

A decision invalidating China&#39;s vast claims in the South China Sea was a &quot;crowning glory&quot; that renews faith in international law, the&nbsp;Philippines&#39; top lawyer said on Friday, in Manila&#39;s strongest comment yet on its sweeping win.

The remarks by solicitor general Jose Calida follow two days of carefully calibrated responses from the&nbsp;Philippines&nbsp;and are almost certain to irritate China further.

Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights.

&quot;It confirms that no one state can claim virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win not only for the&nbsp;Philippines&nbsp;... it renews humanity&#39;s faith in a rules based global order,&quot; Calida told a forum on the South China Sea.

&quot;The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stakeholders. The award is a crowning glory of international law.&quot;

China has refused to recognise Tuesday&#39;s ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to.

China&#39;s foreign ministry on Friday said Beijing&#39;s position on the case had the support of Laos, the current chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc long dogged by discord over how to deal with China&#39;s maritime assertiveness.

The verdict was discussed on Thursday between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith ahead a regional summit in Mongolia.

&quot;Thongloun said that Laos supports China&#39;s position, and is willing to work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.

The statement did not elaborate. Laos&#39; foreign ministry has not responded to Reuters&#39; request for comment on the ruling and its state media made no mention of Thongloun&#39;s comments to Li.

Land-locked Laos, which is boosting economic ties with China, will be hosting a key security meeting later this month at which the South China Sea is expected to dominate. ASEAN has not issued a statement about the ruling and its members have not said why.

Cautious Approach

China has said it has widespread support for its rejection of the case but many countries have stuck to cautious comments about resolving disputes peacefully and following international laws.

China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the&nbsp;Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims.

Philippines&#39; President Rodrigo Duterte ended his unusual silence at a private function late on Thursday and said he wanted dialogue with China and was considering sending former President Fidel Ramos to Beijing to get the ball rolling.

&quot;War is not an option,&quot; he said. &quot;So, what is the other side? -&nbsp;Peaceful talk.&quot;

Immediately after the ruling, the normally brash and outspoken Duterte privately told his ministers to be magnanimous and not to pique Beijing, according to one minister.

But the cautious tone appears to be changing in the&nbsp;Philippines, where there are signs of public disgruntlement with the subdued government response to a decision that most of the country was celebrating.

The United States, a key&nbsp;Philippines&#39; ally, is urging Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on the court ruling, according to US&nbsp;administration officials.

The chief of its naval operations, Admiral John Richardson will discuss the South China Sea among other issues when he meets China&#39;s navy commander, Admiral Wu Shengli, from Sunday on a three-day trip to &quot;improve mutual understanding&quot;, according to a US navy statement.

(Reuters)

China said Beijing's rejection of the verdict had the support of Laos, current chair of the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN)

A decision invalidating China's vast claims in the South China Sea was a "crowning glory" that renews faith in international law, the Philippines' top lawyer said on Friday, in Manila's strongest comment yet on its sweeping win. The remarks by solicitor general Jose Calida follow two days of carefully calibrated responses from the Philippines and are almost certain to irritate China further. Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights. "It confirms that no one state can claim virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win not only for the Philippines ... it renews humanity's faith in a rules based global order," Calida told a forum on the South China Sea. "The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stakeholders. The award is a crowning glory of international law." China has refused to recognise Tuesday's ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to. China's foreign ministry on Friday said Beijing's position on the case had the support of Laos, the current chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc long dogged by discord over how to deal with China's maritime assertiveness. The verdict was discussed on Thursday between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith ahead a regional summit in Mongolia. "Thongloun said that Laos supports China's position, and is willing to work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region," the ministry said in a statement. The statement did not elaborate. Laos' foreign ministry has not responded to Reuters' request for comment on the ruling and its state media made no mention of Thongloun's comments to Li. Land-locked Laos, which is boosting economic ties with China, will be hosting a key security meeting later this month at which the South China Sea is expected to dominate. ASEAN has not issued a statement about the ruling and its members have not said why. Cautious Approach China has said it has widespread support for its rejection of the case but many countries have stuck to cautious comments about resolving disputes peacefully and following international laws. China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte ended his unusual silence at a private function late on Thursday and said he wanted dialogue with China and was considering sending former President Fidel Ramos to Beijing to get the ball rolling. "War is not an option," he said. "So, what is the other side? - Peaceful talk." Immediately after the ruling, the normally brash and outspoken Duterte privately told his ministers to be magnanimous and not to pique Beijing, according to one minister. But the cautious tone appears to be changing in the Philippines, where there are signs of public disgruntlement with the subdued government response to a decision that most of the country was celebrating. The United States, a key Philippines' ally, is urging Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on the court ruling, according to US administration officials. The chief of its naval operations, Admiral John Richardson will discuss the South China Sea among other issues when he meets China's navy commander, Admiral Wu Shengli, from Sunday on a three-day trip to "improve mutual understanding", according to a US navy statement. (Reuters)

Philippines' top lawyer hails South China Sea ruling a 'crowning glory'

The commanders of the US and Chinese navies will meet amid mounting tensions over Chinas claims to much of the South China Sea, the US Navy said Thursday. Admiral John Richardson, chief of US naval operations, will conduct a three-day visit beginning Sunday, stopping in Beijing and the coastal city of Qingdao, and will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wu Shengli.&nbsp; 
 
Beijing was incensed by the ruling of an international tribunal Tuesday which invalidated Chinas claims to the strategic waterway and promised a &quot;decisive response&quot; to any &quot;provocative action&quot; in the region. 
 
The United States, which has the largest navy in the world, maintains a permanent presence of military vessels in the region. 
 
Since last year it has also conducted three &quot;freedom of navigation&quot; patrols in the region, sending war ships within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands built by Beijing in the South China Sea to signal that Washington does not accept&nbsp; 
Chinas territorial claims. Beijing has asserted claims to as much as 90 percent of the South China Sea, infuriating regional neighbors such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.&nbsp; 
 
American officials have repeatedly complained of the &quot;dangerous&quot; conduct of Chinese aircraft, which have buzzed American planes in the region. But despite rising tensions, American and Chinese sailors have maintained navy-to-navy relations, seeking to minimize the risk of any misunderstandings. China has been invited to participate in this years Rim of the Pacific naval exercises, currently being conducted between Hawaii and California. 
 
(AFP)

The United States, which has the largest navy in the world, maintains a permanent presence of military vessels in the region

The commanders of the US and Chinese navies will meet amid mounting tensions over Chinas claims to much of the South China Sea, the US Navy said Thursday. Admiral John Richardson, chief of US naval operations, will conduct a three-day visit beginning Sunday, stopping in Beijing and the coastal city of Qingdao, and will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wu Shengli. Beijing was incensed by the ruling of an international tribunal Tuesday which invalidated Chinas claims to the strategic waterway and promised a "decisive response" to any "provocative action" in the region. The United States, which has the largest navy in the world, maintains a permanent presence of military vessels in the region. Since last year it has also conducted three "freedom of navigation" patrols in the region, sending war ships within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands built by Beijing in the South China Sea to signal that Washington does not accept Chinas territorial claims. Beijing has asserted claims to as much as 90 percent of the South China Sea, infuriating regional neighbors such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. American officials have repeatedly complained of the "dangerous" conduct of Chinese aircraft, which have buzzed American planes in the region. But despite rising tensions, American and Chinese sailors have maintained navy-to-navy relations, seeking to minimize the risk of any misunderstandings. China has been invited to participate in this years Rim of the Pacific naval exercises, currently being conducted between Hawaii and California. (AFP)

US, Chinese naval commanders to meet amid tensions

A Chinese coastguard boat stopped a group of Philippine fishermen from approaching a disputed shoal on Thursday despite an arbitration ruling granting the Philippines the right to fish in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 
 
An international court in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that China has no historic title over the large swathes of the South China Sea and that it has breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines with its actions there. 
 
A news team from local network ABS-CBN joined a group of fishermen as they travelled to Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippines&#39; Exclusive Economic Zone and was seized by China in 2012. 
 
A Chinese coastguard patrol ship was spotted while they were approaching the mouth of the shoal and was soon approached by its personnel. 
 
&quot;This is Chinese Coastguard performing law enforcement duties here. you should leave here immediately,&quot; said one of the Chinese coastguard personnel. 
 
The fishermen decided to return and fish outside the shoal, ABS-CBN reported. 
 
The coastal town of Masinloc, which faces the South China Sea, has advised its fishermen not to fish in Scarborough Shoal until disputes are completely settled with China. 
 
In Manila, the Philippines&#39; top lawyer told a forum on today that the decision invalidating China&#39;s claims was a &quot;crowning glory&quot; that renews faith in international law. 
 
&quot;It confirms that no one state can contain virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win, not only for the Philippines, but for the community because it renews humanity&#39;s faith in a rules based global order,&quot; Solicitor General Jose Calida said, the strongest comment a Philippine official has made since the arbitration award. 
 
&quot;The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stake holders. The award is a crowning glory of international law. It provides for the norms to be followed, for the peaceful and orderly conduct of world affairs,&quot; he added. 
 
Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights. 
 
The ruling is significant as it is the first time that a legal challenge has been brought in the dispute, which covers some of the world&#39;s most promising oil and gas fields and vital fishing grounds. 
 
The court has no power of enforcement, but a victory for the Philippines could spur Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei to file similar cases. 
 
China has refused to recognise Tuesday&#39;s ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to. 
 
China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. 
 
(Reuters)

China has refused to recognise Hague's ruling on Tuesday that it has no historic claim over the South China sea

A Chinese coastguard boat stopped a group of Philippine fishermen from approaching a disputed shoal on Thursday despite an arbitration ruling granting the Philippines the right to fish in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). An international court in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that China has no historic title over the large swathes of the South China Sea and that it has breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines with its actions there. A news team from local network ABS-CBN joined a group of fishermen as they travelled to Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone and was seized by China in 2012. A Chinese coastguard patrol ship was spotted while they were approaching the mouth of the shoal and was soon approached by its personnel. "This is Chinese Coastguard performing law enforcement duties here. you should leave here immediately," said one of the Chinese coastguard personnel. The fishermen decided to return and fish outside the shoal, ABS-CBN reported. The coastal town of Masinloc, which faces the South China Sea, has advised its fishermen not to fish in Scarborough Shoal until disputes are completely settled with China. In Manila, the Philippines' top lawyer told a forum on today that the decision invalidating China's claims was a "crowning glory" that renews faith in international law. "It confirms that no one state can contain virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win, not only for the Philippines, but for the community because it renews humanity's faith in a rules based global order," Solicitor General Jose Calida said, the strongest comment a Philippine official has made since the arbitration award. "The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stake holders. The award is a crowning glory of international law. It provides for the norms to be followed, for the peaceful and orderly conduct of world affairs," he added. Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights. The ruling is significant as it is the first time that a legal challenge has been brought in the dispute, which covers some of the world's most promising oil and gas fields and vital fishing grounds. The court has no power of enforcement, but a victory for the Philippines could spur Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei to file similar cases. China has refused to recognise Tuesday's ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. (Reuters)

Chinese coastguard blocks Philippine fishermen from approaching disputed shoal

China today threatened a &quot;decisive response&quot; to any provocations in the South China Sea, following an international tribunal ruling against its extensive claims in the disputed area. 
 
The Asian country has reacted furiously to the verdict issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal in the Hague, which on Tuesday sided with the Philippines in its ruling that China had no grounds for its claims in the strategically vital waterway. 
 
&quot;If anyone wants to take any provocative action against China&#39;s security interests based on the award, China will make a decisive response,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said today. 
 
He said the tribunal had been &quot;unlawful&quot; and the ruling would &quot;not have any effect on China&#39;s existing policy&quot;. 
 
China has insisted that it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals that increasing pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waters into a &quot;cradle of war&quot;. 
 
It justifies its sovereignty claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its claims for most of the waterway using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. 
 
Those claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. 
 
China has also in recent years built giant artificial islands capable of hosting military installations and airstrips in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest groups of features in the sea. 
 
The Philippines brought the case against China in 2013, asking the court to find that Beijing&#39;s claims to much of the territory in the sea are invalid and violate the UN&#39;s Convention on the Law of the Sea. 
 
Aside from stating that China&#39;s historical rights were without &quot;legal basis&quot;, the tribunal ruled that its artificial island building and the blocking of Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal were unlawful. 
 
Beijing boycotted the PCA proceedings, saying the court had no jurisdiction to rule on the issues, and has mounted a huge diplomatic and publicity drive to try to discredit the tribunal and its decision. 
 
(AFP)

A foreign ministry spokesman called the international tribunal 'unlawful' and said the ruling wouldn't effect China's existing policy

China today threatened a "decisive response" to any provocations in the South China Sea, following an international tribunal ruling against its extensive claims in the disputed area. The Asian country has reacted furiously to the verdict issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal in the Hague, which on Tuesday sided with the Philippines in its ruling that China had no grounds for its claims in the strategically vital waterway. "If anyone wants to take any provocative action against China's security interests based on the award, China will make a decisive response," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said today. He said the tribunal had been "unlawful" and the ruling would "not have any effect on China's existing policy". China has insisted that it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals that increasing pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waters into a "cradle of war". It justifies its sovereignty claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its claims for most of the waterway using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. Those claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. China has also in recent years built giant artificial islands capable of hosting military installations and airstrips in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest groups of features in the sea. The Philippines brought the case against China in 2013, asking the court to find that Beijing's claims to much of the territory in the sea are invalid and violate the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea. Aside from stating that China's historical rights were without "legal basis", the tribunal ruled that its artificial island building and the blocking of Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal were unlawful. Beijing boycotted the PCA proceedings, saying the court had no jurisdiction to rule on the issues, and has mounted a huge diplomatic and publicity drive to try to discredit the tribunal and its decision. (AFP)

Beijing threatens 'decisive response' to any provocations in South China Sea

The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China&#39;s claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,&quot; said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. 
 
Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by defense secretary Ash Carter, secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. 
 
&quot;This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China,&quot; the official added. 
 
The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan&#39;s maritime territory. 
 
The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a &quot;rock&quot;, according to the legal definition. 
 
The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims&nbsp;and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. 
 
One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains &quot;somewhat of an unknown quantity&quot; who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. 
 
Philippine defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said told him China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. 
 
Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. 
 
China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with foreign minister Wang Yi saying that it is time to get things back on the &quot;right track&quot; after the &quot;farce&quot; of the case. 
 
On Thursday, the official newspaper of China&#39;s ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to the&nbsp;agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. 
 
&quot;China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect,&quot; the People&#39;s Daily said in a commentary. 
 
Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation,&quot; State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. &quot;What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward.&quot; 
 
However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation,&nbsp;US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defense official said on Wednesday. 
 
Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think China wants a confrontation with the United States,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They don&rsquo;t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don&rsquo;t want a confrontation with the United States.&quot; 
 
The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. 
 
US secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, foreign minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. 
 
Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China&#39;s government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China&#39;s export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. 
 
(Reuters)

'What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,' said a US official

The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China's claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. "What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by defense secretary Ash Carter, secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. "This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China," the official added. The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan's maritime territory. The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a "rock", according to the legal definition. The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains "somewhat of an unknown quantity" who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. Philippine defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said told him China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with foreign minister Wang Yi saying that it is time to get things back on the "right track" after the "farce" of the case. On Thursday, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to the agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. "China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect," the People's Daily said in a commentary. Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. "We don't have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. "What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward." However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defense official said on Wednesday. Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. "I don't think China wants a confrontation with the United States," he told reporters. "They don’t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don’t want a confrontation with the United States." The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. US secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, foreign minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China's government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China's export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. (Reuters)

US launches quiet diplomacy to ease South China Sea tensions

Beijing&#39;s ambassador to the United States made a blunt rebuke Tuesday of an international tribunal ruling that rendered its claims in the South China Sea invalid. 
 
China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters, despite rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbors, most notably the Philippines. 
 
The decision by the UN-backed tribunal in The Hague &quot;will certainly undermine or weaken the motivation of states to engage in negotiations and consultations for solving their dispute,&quot; Ambassador Cui Tiankai said. 
 
&quot;It will certainly intensify conflicts and even confrontation,&quot; he added, speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 
 
&quot;In the end, it will undermine the authority and effectiveness of international law.&quot; 
 
The envoy also warned that the Permanent Court of Arbitration&#39;s ruling &quot;will probably open the door of abusing arbitration procedures.&quot; 
 
China&#39;s claims, which include waters approaching neighboring countries, are based on a vaguely defined &quot;nine-dash-line&quot; found on a 1940&#39;s Chinese map. 
 
The row has embroiled the United States, which has deployed aircraft carriers and a host of other vessels to assert freedom of navigation in the waters -- through which a third of the global oil trade passes. 
 
Criticising the American show of force in the region, Cui warned it could lead to conflict. 
 
&quot;Intensified military activities so close to Chinese islands and reefs or even entering the neighboring waters of these islands and reefs, these activities certainly have the risk of leading to some conflict,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I am quite sure they will have the effect of destabilising regional stability,&quot; the ambassador added. 
 
&quot;If armed conflict started, everybody&#39;s interest would be hurt, including our interest and I am sure the interests of the USA.&quot; 
 
The envoy blamed Washington&#39;s pivot to Asia under President Barack Obama for increased tensions. 
 
&quot;Tensions started to rise five to six years ago, about the same time we began to hear from the so-called pivoting to Asia,&quot; Cui said. 
 
&quot;Disputes intensified, relations strained, confidence weakened.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'In the end, it will undermine the authority and effectiveness of international law,' Ambassador Cui Tiankai said

Beijing's ambassador to the United States made a blunt rebuke Tuesday of an international tribunal ruling that rendered its claims in the South China Sea invalid. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters, despite rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbors, most notably the Philippines. The decision by the UN-backed tribunal in The Hague "will certainly undermine or weaken the motivation of states to engage in negotiations and consultations for solving their dispute," Ambassador Cui Tiankai said. "It will certainly intensify conflicts and even confrontation," he added, speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "In the end, it will undermine the authority and effectiveness of international law." The envoy also warned that the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling "will probably open the door of abusing arbitration procedures." China's claims, which include waters approaching neighboring countries, are based on a vaguely defined "nine-dash-line" found on a 1940's Chinese map. The row has embroiled the United States, which has deployed aircraft carriers and a host of other vessels to assert freedom of navigation in the waters -- through which a third of the global oil trade passes. Criticising the American show of force in the region, Cui warned it could lead to conflict. "Intensified military activities so close to Chinese islands and reefs or even entering the neighboring waters of these islands and reefs, these activities certainly have the risk of leading to some conflict," he said. "I am quite sure they will have the effect of destabilising regional stability," the ambassador added. "If armed conflict started, everybody's interest would be hurt, including our interest and I am sure the interests of the USA." The envoy blamed Washington's pivot to Asia under President Barack Obama for increased tensions. "Tensions started to rise five to six years ago, about the same time we began to hear from the so-called pivoting to Asia," Cui said. "Disputes intensified, relations strained, confidence weakened." (AFP)

South China Sea ruling will 'intensify conflict': Chinese envoy to US

China warned rivals on Wednesday against turning the South China Sea into a &quot;cradle of war&quot; and threatened an air defence zone there, after its claims to the strategically vital waters were declared invalid. 
 
The surprisingly strong and sweeping ruling by a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague provided powerful diplomatic ammunition to the Philippines, which filed the challenge, and other claimants in their decades-long disputes with China over the resource-rich waters.&nbsp; 
 
China reacted furiously to Tuesday&#39;s decision, insisting it had historical rights over the sea while launching a volley of thinly veiled warnings at the United States and other critical nations. 
 
&quot;Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war,&quot; vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing, as he described the ruling as waste paper. 
 
Liu also said China had &quot;the right&quot; to establish an air defence identification zone over the sea, which would give the Chinese military authority over foreign aircraft.&nbsp; 
 
A similar zone set up in 2013 in the East China Sea riled Japan, the United States and its allies. 
 
&quot;Whether we need to set up one in the South China Sea depends on the level of threat we receive,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We hope other countries will not take the chance to blackmail China.&quot; 
 
The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, was even more blunt. 
 
&quot;It will certainly intensify conflicts and even confrontation,&quot; Cui said in Washington on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
And the ruling Communist Party&#39;s mouthpiece, the People&#39;s Daily, said on Wednesday that China was prepared to take &quot;all measures necessary&quot; to protect its interests.&nbsp; 
 
China justifies its sovereignty claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named, and exploited the sea, and outlines its claims for most of the waterway using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940&#39;s. 
 
Those claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.&nbsp; 
 
Manila, under previous president Benigno Aquino, launched the legal case in 2013 after China took control of Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone and far away from the nearest major Chinese landmass. 
 
China has also in recent years built giant artificial islands capable of hosting military installations and airstrips in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest groups of features in the sea. 
 
Aside from stating that China&#39;s historical rights were without &quot;legal basis&quot;, the tribunal ruled that its artificial island building and the blocking of Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal were unlawful.The Philippines, under new President Rodrigo Duterte, declined to celebrate the verdict. 
 
&quot;We have to be magnanimous in victory,&quot; Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told reporters in Manila on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;In very delicate matters like this, you cannot be provocative in statements. We urge everybody including China to exercise restraint and sobriety.&quot; 
 
Duterte has repeatedly said he wants to improve relations with China, which plummeted under Aquino because of the dispute, and that he would seek Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects such as a railway for the impoverished southern Philippines. 
 
He is open to direct talks with China aimed at achieving a long-awaited code of conduct among rival claimants for the sea. China has long wanted to negotiate directly, and analysts said dialogue rather than conflict was the most likely scenario. 
 
Yet a military build-up in the sea continued. 
 
China launched naval drills in the northern areas before the verdict, while the US Pacific Command said it had deployed an aircraft carrier for flights to support &quot;security&quot; in the sea. 
 
Taiwan, which was another loser in the verdict as its claims are very similar to those of China, sent a warship on Wednesday to the sea to protect its claims.&nbsp; 
 
Indonesia also announced it would sharply strengthen security around its islands in the sea, where there have been clashes with Chinese vessels recently. 
 
China used deadly force to seize control of the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam in 1974, and Johnson Reef from a united Vietnam in 1988. 
 
China faced immediate pressure to abide by the ruling from Western powers, which insist they have legitimate interests in the dispute because of the need to maintain &quot;freedom of navigation&quot; in waters that host more than $5 trillion in shipping trade annually. 
 
The United States emphasised that China, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, should accept the verdict. 
 
&quot;As provided in the convention, the tribunal&#39;s decision is final and legally binding on both China and the Philippines,&quot; State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington. 
 
Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop warned China there would be &quot;strong reputational costs&quot; for ignoring the ruling, as she called for Chinese island building to end. 
 
(AFP)

'Whether we need to set up one in the South China Sea depends on the level of threat we receive,' said vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin

China warned rivals on Wednesday against turning the South China Sea into a "cradle of war" and threatened an air defence zone there, after its claims to the strategically vital waters were declared invalid. The surprisingly strong and sweeping ruling by a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague provided powerful diplomatic ammunition to the Philippines, which filed the challenge, and other claimants in their decades-long disputes with China over the resource-rich waters. China reacted furiously to Tuesday's decision, insisting it had historical rights over the sea while launching a volley of thinly veiled warnings at the United States and other critical nations. "Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war," vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing, as he described the ruling as waste paper. Liu also said China had "the right" to establish an air defence identification zone over the sea, which would give the Chinese military authority over foreign aircraft. A similar zone set up in 2013 in the East China Sea riled Japan, the United States and its allies. "Whether we need to set up one in the South China Sea depends on the level of threat we receive," he said. "We hope other countries will not take the chance to blackmail China." The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, was even more blunt. "It will certainly intensify conflicts and even confrontation," Cui said in Washington on Tuesday. And the ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece, the People's Daily, said on Wednesday that China was prepared to take "all measures necessary" to protect its interests. China justifies its sovereignty claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named, and exploited the sea, and outlines its claims for most of the waterway using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940's. Those claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Manila, under previous president Benigno Aquino, launched the legal case in 2013 after China took control of Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and far away from the nearest major Chinese landmass. China has also in recent years built giant artificial islands capable of hosting military installations and airstrips in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest groups of features in the sea. Aside from stating that China's historical rights were without "legal basis", the tribunal ruled that its artificial island building and the blocking of Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal were unlawful.The Philippines, under new President Rodrigo Duterte, declined to celebrate the verdict. "We have to be magnanimous in victory," Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told reporters in Manila on Wednesday. "In very delicate matters like this, you cannot be provocative in statements. We urge everybody including China to exercise restraint and sobriety." Duterte has repeatedly said he wants to improve relations with China, which plummeted under Aquino because of the dispute, and that he would seek Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects such as a railway for the impoverished southern Philippines. He is open to direct talks with China aimed at achieving a long-awaited code of conduct among rival claimants for the sea. China has long wanted to negotiate directly, and analysts said dialogue rather than conflict was the most likely scenario. Yet a military build-up in the sea continued. China launched naval drills in the northern areas before the verdict, while the US Pacific Command said it had deployed an aircraft carrier for flights to support "security" in the sea. Taiwan, which was another loser in the verdict as its claims are very similar to those of China, sent a warship on Wednesday to the sea to protect its claims. Indonesia also announced it would sharply strengthen security around its islands in the sea, where there have been clashes with Chinese vessels recently. China used deadly force to seize control of the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam in 1974, and Johnson Reef from a united Vietnam in 1988. China faced immediate pressure to abide by the ruling from Western powers, which insist they have legitimate interests in the dispute because of the need to maintain "freedom of navigation" in waters that host more than $5 trillion in shipping trade annually. The United States emphasised that China, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, should accept the verdict. "As provided in the convention, the tribunal's decision is final and legally binding on both China and the Philippines," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington. Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop warned China there would be "strong reputational costs" for ignoring the ruling, as she called for Chinese island building to end. (AFP)

China threatens air defence zone in South China Sea

Chinese stock investors today found a silver lining to a tribunal ruling against their country`s territorial ambitions in the disputed South China Sea, driving up defence firm prices in expectation of heightened tensions. 
 
A UN-backed tribunal on Tuesday declared invalid China`s territorial claims to the waters, prompting one Chinese official today to warn rivals against turning the South China Sea into a &quot;cradle of war&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Weapons system maker Hwa Create Technology added 4.56 per cent and defence software developer Wisesoft jumped 5.40 per cent -- both outpacing the overall market -- as eager punters bet that increased tensions might be good for business. 
 
But analysts cautioned the gains were speculative and could be short-lived. 
 
&quot;Investors have been speculating on defence companies for some time, partly because of the South China Sea issue,&quot; Qian Qimin, an analyst at brokerage Shenwan Hongyuan Group, told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It`s a short-term focus for investors, unless the quarrel heats up again.&quot; 
 
Companies based in the southern island province of Hainan -- a gateway to the South China Sea -- also rose on hopes their home could benefit from greater economic development if the government sought to boost military assets as well as tourism and transport links.&nbsp; 
 
Hainan HNA Infrastructure Investment Group -- which has interests in airports and shipping harbours -- surged by its 10 per cent daily limit to 14.42 Yuan while Hainan Haiqi Transportation Group also jumped 10 per cent.&nbsp; 
 
China has in recent years built giant artificial islands capable of hosting military installations and airstrips in the Spratlys archipelago, in the south of the sea. 
 
It justifies its sovereignty claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its claims for most of the waterway using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. 
 
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. 
 
(AFP)

Analysts cautioned the gains were speculative and could be short-lived

Chinese stock investors today found a silver lining to a tribunal ruling against their country`s territorial ambitions in the disputed South China Sea, driving up defence firm prices in expectation of heightened tensions. A UN-backed tribunal on Tuesday declared invalid China`s territorial claims to the waters, prompting one Chinese official today to warn rivals against turning the South China Sea into a "cradle of war". Weapons system maker Hwa Create Technology added 4.56 per cent and defence software developer Wisesoft jumped 5.40 per cent -- both outpacing the overall market -- as eager punters bet that increased tensions might be good for business. But analysts cautioned the gains were speculative and could be short-lived. "Investors have been speculating on defence companies for some time, partly because of the South China Sea issue," Qian Qimin, an analyst at brokerage Shenwan Hongyuan Group, told AFP. "It`s a short-term focus for investors, unless the quarrel heats up again." Companies based in the southern island province of Hainan -- a gateway to the South China Sea -- also rose on hopes their home could benefit from greater economic development if the government sought to boost military assets as well as tourism and transport links. Hainan HNA Infrastructure Investment Group -- which has interests in airports and shipping harbours -- surged by its 10 per cent daily limit to 14.42 Yuan while Hainan Haiqi Transportation Group also jumped 10 per cent. China has in recent years built giant artificial islands capable of hosting military installations and airstrips in the Spratlys archipelago, in the south of the sea. It justifies its sovereignty claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its claims for most of the waterway using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. (AFP)

China stock investors bet on South China Sea territorial dispute

All countries should not accept illegal rulings, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Wednesday at a press conference. 
 
Lu made the remark when asked about China not accepting the Hague ruling on the South China Sea, and why China&rsquo;s attitude towards the ruling differs from the international community. 
 
He said the minority cannot represent international community. 
 
&quot;International community should be at least the majority of countires in terms of numbers. I said few months ago that seven or eight countries cannot represent the entire international community,&rdquo; said Lu. 
 
The Foreign Minister said some countries used to claim themselves as international community, but they stopped to do so after China gave them a heads-up. 
 
&quot;I can tell you that not only just permanent members of the UN Security Council, but any other country should not accept the illegal ruling,&rdquo; said Lu. 
 
(Reuters)

'Seven or eight countries cannot represent the entire international community,' said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang

All countries should not accept illegal rulings, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Wednesday at a press conference. Lu made the remark when asked about China not accepting the Hague ruling on the South China Sea, and why China’s attitude towards the ruling differs from the international community. He said the minority cannot represent international community. "International community should be at least the majority of countires in terms of numbers. I said few months ago that seven or eight countries cannot represent the entire international community,” said Lu. The Foreign Minister said some countries used to claim themselves as international community, but they stopped to do so after China gave them a heads-up. "I can tell you that not only just permanent members of the UN Security Council, but any other country should not accept the illegal ruling,” said Lu. (Reuters)

All countries should not accept illegal rulings: Chinese foreign ministry

A Taiwanese warship set sail for the South China Sea on Wednesday &quot;to defend Taiwan&#39;s maritime territory&quot;, a day after an international tribunal ruled China has no historic rights in the waterway and undermined Taipei&#39;s claims to islands there. 
 
President Tsai Ing-wen rallied troops on the deck of the frigate, saying Taiwanese were determined to &quot;defend their country&#39;s rights&quot;, before the warship headed for Taiwan-controlled Taiping island in the Spratly island chain from the southern city of Kaohsiung. 
 
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled on Tuesday that China has no historic rights to its claimed &quot;nine-dash line&quot; and that it had violated the Philippines&#39; sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone. 
 
Crucially for Taipei, it ruled that Taiwan-administered Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys chain, was legally a &quot;rock&quot; that did not give it an exclusive economic zone, undermining Taiwanese claims to waters surrounding the island. 
 
Taiwan&#39;s government said the ruling was &quot;completely unacceptable&quot; and had no legally binding force since the arbitral tribunal did not formally invite Taipei to participate in its proceedings or solicit its views. 
 
&quot;The South China Sea ruling, especially the categorisation of Taiping island, has severely jeopardised our country&#39;s rights in the South China Sea islands and their relevant waters,&quot; Tsai told soldiers on the deck of ship in footage broadcast by news channels. 
 
&quot;This patrol mission will show Taiwanese people&#39;s determination to defend their country&#39;s rights,&quot; she said, before disembarking from the warship ahead of its departure.&nbsp; 
 
The defence ministry vowed to &quot;firmly defend Taiwan&#39;s territory and sovereignty&quot; and said there would be no change to Taiwan&#39;s claims in the strategic seas because of the ruling. 
 
It brought the deployment of the warship forward by a day in reaction to the ruling. 
 
The ministry said in a statement it would continue to send aircraft and ships for patrol missions to the region and remain &quot;highly vigilant&quot; to protect national security.&nbsp; 
 
Tsai&#39;s predecessor Ma Ying-jeou visited Taiping in January to press Taiwan&#39;s claims and show that Taiping is an island, not a rock, in a move that triggered criticism from the United States as well as protests from Vietnam and the Philippines. 
 
The Spratlys are also claimed in part or whole by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

President Tsai Ing-wen rallied troops on the deck of the frigate, saying Taiwanese were determined to 'defend their country's rights'

A Taiwanese warship set sail for the South China Sea on Wednesday "to defend Taiwan's maritime territory", a day after an international tribunal ruled China has no historic rights in the waterway and undermined Taipei's claims to islands there. President Tsai Ing-wen rallied troops on the deck of the frigate, saying Taiwanese were determined to "defend their country's rights", before the warship headed for Taiwan-controlled Taiping island in the Spratly island chain from the southern city of Kaohsiung. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled on Tuesday that China has no historic rights to its claimed "nine-dash line" and that it had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone. Crucially for Taipei, it ruled that Taiwan-administered Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys chain, was legally a "rock" that did not give it an exclusive economic zone, undermining Taiwanese claims to waters surrounding the island. Taiwan's government said the ruling was "completely unacceptable" and had no legally binding force since the arbitral tribunal did not formally invite Taipei to participate in its proceedings or solicit its views. "The South China Sea ruling, especially the categorisation of Taiping island, has severely jeopardised our country's rights in the South China Sea islands and their relevant waters," Tsai told soldiers on the deck of ship in footage broadcast by news channels. "This patrol mission will show Taiwanese people's determination to defend their country's rights," she said, before disembarking from the warship ahead of its departure. The defence ministry vowed to "firmly defend Taiwan's territory and sovereignty" and said there would be no change to Taiwan's claims in the strategic seas because of the ruling. It brought the deployment of the warship forward by a day in reaction to the ruling. The ministry said in a statement it would continue to send aircraft and ships for patrol missions to the region and remain "highly vigilant" to protect national security. Tsai's predecessor Ma Ying-jeou visited Taiping in January to press Taiwan's claims and show that Taiping is an island, not a rock, in a move that triggered criticism from the United States as well as protests from Vietnam and the Philippines. The Spratlys are also claimed in part or whole by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei. (AFP)

Taiwan sends warship to South China Sea to defend its 'maritime territory'

European Union president Donald Tusk on Tuesday cautioned China to respect the international system, as the world&#39;s second-largest economy finds itself locked in disagreements over maritime law and global trade practices. His comments preceded a judgement from a UN-backed tribunal declaring that China had no &quot;historic rights&quot; in the strategically vital South China Sea, a ruling swiftly rejected by China&#39;s foreign ministry. 
 
Speaking in Beijing at the start of the EU-China summit, Tusk called on the Asian country to protect the &quot;rule-based international order&quot;, saying the task &quot;may be the biggest challenge ahead of us&quot;. 
 
EU members have roundly criticised Beijing for its trade practices, claiming the Asian giant is flooding global markets with cheap products, driving down prices and threatening economic stability. 
 
The global framework of laws and regulations &quot;brings so many benefits to our nations&quot;, Tusk said, adding: &quot;If many start believing that globalisation and international trade are happening without or against common rules, then the first victims will be Chinese and European economies, not to mention people.&quot; 
 
His comments followed remarks by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that the meeting is &quot;an active signal that clearly states that we are two important powers safeguarding world peace and development&quot;. 
 
Earlier in the day, China cancelled a pre-arranged press conference with the leaders, EU representatives said. 
 
The EU is in the process of considering whether or not to grant China market economy status, a designation that would make it much harder for major economies to fight Beijing over alleged unfair trading practices. 
 
Opposition to granting the status has focused on complaints that China has violated global trade rules, most notably selling steel at below market prices. 
 
Tusk also referred to the South China Sea dispute between Beijing and Manila ahead of the decision from the Hague-based tribunal, saying &quot;the rule-based international order is in our common interest, and both China and the EU have to protect it, as this is in our peoples best interests.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its south-east Asian neighbours. To bolster its position it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China&#39;s claims to much of the waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. 
 
Beijing insists the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. 
 
(AFP)

After maritime row, Beijing is facing criticisms for it's trade practices which has been threatening economic stability across markets

European Union president Donald Tusk on Tuesday cautioned China to respect the international system, as the world's second-largest economy finds itself locked in disagreements over maritime law and global trade practices. His comments preceded a judgement from a UN-backed tribunal declaring that China had no "historic rights" in the strategically vital South China Sea, a ruling swiftly rejected by China's foreign ministry. Speaking in Beijing at the start of the EU-China summit, Tusk called on the Asian country to protect the "rule-based international order", saying the task "may be the biggest challenge ahead of us". EU members have roundly criticised Beijing for its trade practices, claiming the Asian giant is flooding global markets with cheap products, driving down prices and threatening economic stability. The global framework of laws and regulations "brings so many benefits to our nations", Tusk said, adding: "If many start believing that globalisation and international trade are happening without or against common rules, then the first victims will be Chinese and European economies, not to mention people." His comments followed remarks by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that the meeting is "an active signal that clearly states that we are two important powers safeguarding world peace and development". Earlier in the day, China cancelled a pre-arranged press conference with the leaders, EU representatives said. The EU is in the process of considering whether or not to grant China market economy status, a designation that would make it much harder for major economies to fight Beijing over alleged unfair trading practices. Opposition to granting the status has focused on complaints that China has violated global trade rules, most notably selling steel at below market prices. Tusk also referred to the South China Sea dispute between Beijing and Manila ahead of the decision from the Hague-based tribunal, saying "the rule-based international order is in our common interest, and both China and the EU have to protect it, as this is in our peoples best interests." China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its south-east Asian neighbours. To bolster its position it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China's claims to much of the waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. Beijing insists the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. (AFP)

EU head cautions China to respect international system

Vietnam has accused the Chinese coastguard of sinking a fishing boat near a disputed island chain, authorities said on Tuesday, ahead of key UN-backed ruling on claims in the flashpoint South China Sea. 
 
Two Vietnamese boats were chased by a pair of Chinese coastguard ships on Saturday afternoon off Vietnam&#39;s Quang Ngai province, the Vietnam Fisheries Society (Vinafis) said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
One ship was boarded by Chinese coastguards who forced the crew overboard, Vinafis said, while a second vessel was prevented from reaching the stranded fishermen. 
 
&quot;Chinese men jumped onto fisherman Vo Van Luu&#39;s boat, struck the Vietnamese sailors and... sunk the vessel,&quot; forcing five crew members overboard, the statement said. 
 
The five fishermen remained in the sea until dark, when the second Vietnamese vessel was able to approach the area. 
 
Vinafis &quot;condemned&quot; the incident and demanded compensation from China. There was no immediate comment from China on the allegations. 
 
Beijing lays claim to virtually all of the South China Sea, putting it at odds with regional neighbours the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, which also have partial claims. 
 
Later on Tuesday the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague is set to rule on the legality of China&#39;s claims to an area of the sea contested by the Philippines.&nbsp;It is a much anticipated court ruling with analysts saying a verdict that goes against Beijing could see a spike in aggressive actions in the area. 
 
Vietnam and China frequently trade diplomatic barbs over the disputed Paracel island chain and waters in the South China Sea.&nbsp;China is encouraging patriotic tourists to visit the contested Paracels, which are known as Xisha in Chinese. 
 
Such acts have deepened already simmering anti-Chinese sentiment in Vietnam.&nbsp;At least three Chinese people were killed in 2014 when rioting broke out in Vietnam after Beijing sent an oil rig into contested waters. 
 
(AFP)

Chinese coastguards boarded a Vietnamese ship and forced the crew overboard, while a second Chinese boat delayed their rescue

Vietnam has accused the Chinese coastguard of sinking a fishing boat near a disputed island chain, authorities said on Tuesday, ahead of key UN-backed ruling on claims in the flashpoint South China Sea. Two Vietnamese boats were chased by a pair of Chinese coastguard ships on Saturday afternoon off Vietnam's Quang Ngai province, the Vietnam Fisheries Society (Vinafis) said in a statement. One ship was boarded by Chinese coastguards who forced the crew overboard, Vinafis said, while a second vessel was prevented from reaching the stranded fishermen. "Chinese men jumped onto fisherman Vo Van Luu's boat, struck the Vietnamese sailors and... sunk the vessel," forcing five crew members overboard, the statement said. The five fishermen remained in the sea until dark, when the second Vietnamese vessel was able to approach the area. Vinafis "condemned" the incident and demanded compensation from China. There was no immediate comment from China on the allegations. Beijing lays claim to virtually all of the South China Sea, putting it at odds with regional neighbours the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, which also have partial claims. Later on Tuesday the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague is set to rule on the legality of China's claims to an area of the sea contested by the Philippines. It is a much anticipated court ruling with analysts saying a verdict that goes against Beijing could see a spike in aggressive actions in the area. Vietnam and China frequently trade diplomatic barbs over the disputed Paracel island chain and waters in the South China Sea. China is encouraging patriotic tourists to visit the contested Paracels, which are known as Xisha in Chinese. Such acts have deepened already simmering anti-Chinese sentiment in Vietnam. At least three Chinese people were killed in 2014 when rioting broke out in Vietnam after Beijing sent an oil rig into contested waters. (AFP)

Vietnam says China 'sank' fishing boat in South China Sea

The ruling issued by the United Nations-backed tribunal today against China in its long-running dispute with the Philippines in the South China Sea has been welcomed by the Philippines.&nbsp; 
 
In a statement, Teresita C Daza, the Phillipines ambassador to India, said: &quot;The Philippines welcomes the issuance today of the award by the Arbitral Tribunal constituted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines with regard to the South China Sea.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our experts are studying the award with the care and thoroughness that this significant arbitral outcome deserves. In the meantime, we call on all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety,&quot; Daza asserted in the statement.&nbsp; 
 
Daza also said, &quot;The Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea. The decision upholds international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Philippines reiterates its abiding commitment to efforts to pursue the peaceful resolution and management of disputes with a view to promoting and enhancing peace and stability in the region,&quot; she summed up.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

She says the decision upholds international law

The ruling issued by the United Nations-backed tribunal today against China in its long-running dispute with the Philippines in the South China Sea has been welcomed by the Philippines. In a statement, Teresita C Daza, the Phillipines ambassador to India, said: "The Philippines welcomes the issuance today of the award by the Arbitral Tribunal constituted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines with regard to the South China Sea." "Our experts are studying the award with the care and thoroughness that this significant arbitral outcome deserves. In the meantime, we call on all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety," Daza asserted in the statement. Daza also said, "The Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea. The decision upholds international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS." "The Philippines reiterates its abiding commitment to efforts to pursue the peaceful resolution and management of disputes with a view to promoting and enhancing peace and stability in the region," she summed up.

South China Sea ruling: Philippines ambassador to India speaks to WION

It has finally been decided that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign right to West Philippine Sea (in the South China Sea) and that China&rsquo;s &ldquo;nine-dash line&rdquo; is invalid, according to the United Nations (UN) Arbitral Tribunal. 
 
China claims most of the sea, even waters approaching neighbouring countries, based on a vaguely defined &quot;nine-dash-line&quot; found on a 1940&#39;s Chinese map. The Philippines and other countries dispute this claim. 
 
Commentators say the 3 million square kilometres (1.2 million square miles) of water are a potential flashpoint for regional conflict. 
 
What&#39;s there and who&#39;s disputing it? 
 
It&#39;s mostly empty, and hundreds of the small islands, islets and rocks are not naturally able to support human settlement. Significant chains include the Paracels in the north&nbsp;and the Spratlys in the south. 
 
But everyone surrounding the sea, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, tiny Brunei, Taiwan and, most significantly, China, lay claim to some part of it. 
 
Why is there any dispute if there&#39;s nothing there? 
 
Scientists believe that the seabed could contain unexploited oil, gas and minerals, which would be a boon to any country that can establish their claims to the region&#39;s waters, especially in resource-hungry Asia. It&#39;s also home to abundant fisheries that feed growing populations. 
 
But the sea&#39;s key value is strategic. Shipping lanes vital to world trade pass through it, carrying everything from raw materials to finished products, as well as enormous quantities of oil. 
 
Beijing views the South China Sea as its own backyard, a place where it is entitled to free, uninterrupted rein&nbsp;and where its growing navy should be able to operate unhampered. 
 
How are these disputes playing out? 
 
For years, claimants have been building up the tiny reefs and islets to bolster their claims to ownership. China&#39;s land-reclamation programme has been particularly aggressive. 
 
Satellite pictures now show inhabited islands where there was once only submerged coral and many have multiple facilities, including some with runways long enough for huge planes. 
 
Beijing insists its intent is peaceful but the US and others suspect China is trying to assert its sovereignty claims and say that it could pose threats to the free passage of ships. 
 
Washington says the waters are international and regularly sends its warships there on so-called &quot;Freedom of Navigation&quot; missions. 
 
China says these missions are provocations and warns the US not to interfere. It regularly stages its own exercises in the area as a show of force. 
 
(AFP)

Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, tiny Brunei, Taiwan and, most significantly, China lay claim to some part of the sea

It has finally been decided that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign right to West Philippine Sea (in the South China Sea) and that China’s “nine-dash line” is invalid, according to the United Nations (UN) Arbitral Tribunal. China claims most of the sea, even waters approaching neighbouring countries, based on a vaguely defined "nine-dash-line" found on a 1940's Chinese map. The Philippines and other countries dispute this claim. Commentators say the 3 million square kilometres (1.2 million square miles) of water are a potential flashpoint for regional conflict. What's there and who's disputing it? It's mostly empty, and hundreds of the small islands, islets and rocks are not naturally able to support human settlement. Significant chains include the Paracels in the north and the Spratlys in the south. But everyone surrounding the sea, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, tiny Brunei, Taiwan and, most significantly, China, lay claim to some part of it. Why is there any dispute if there's nothing there? Scientists believe that the seabed could contain unexploited oil, gas and minerals, which would be a boon to any country that can establish their claims to the region's waters, especially in resource-hungry Asia. It's also home to abundant fisheries that feed growing populations. But the sea's key value is strategic. Shipping lanes vital to world trade pass through it, carrying everything from raw materials to finished products, as well as enormous quantities of oil. Beijing views the South China Sea as its own backyard, a place where it is entitled to free, uninterrupted rein and where its growing navy should be able to operate unhampered. How are these disputes playing out? For years, claimants have been building up the tiny reefs and islets to bolster their claims to ownership. China's land-reclamation programme has been particularly aggressive. Satellite pictures now show inhabited islands where there was once only submerged coral and many have multiple facilities, including some with runways long enough for huge planes. Beijing insists its intent is peaceful but the US and others suspect China is trying to assert its sovereignty claims and say that it could pose threats to the free passage of ships. Washington says the waters are international and regularly sends its warships there on so-called "Freedom of Navigation" missions. China says these missions are provocations and warns the US not to interfere. It regularly stages its own exercises in the area as a show of force. (AFP)

South China Sea: Who is fighting over it and why?

Beijing &quot;does not accept and does not recognise&quot; the ruling by a UN-backed tribunal on its dispute with the Philippines over the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said today.&nbsp; 
 
The declaration in a statement on its website followed a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that China has no historic rights to its claimed &quot;nine-dash line&quot;. 
 
&quot;The award is null and void and has no binding force,&quot; the ministry said. &quot;China neither accepts nor recognises it.&quot; 
 
Beijing &quot;does not accept any means of third party dispute settlement or any solution imposed on China,&quot; it added, reiterating its long-standing position on the dispute. 
 
China has repeatedly denied the tribunal&#39;s authority to rule on the dispute with the Philippines over the strategically vital region, claiming that the court&#39;s actions are illegal and biased against it. 
 
Beijing refused the opportunity to defend its position before the body. 
 
&quot;China&#39;s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards,&quot; the statement said, adding that &quot;China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards.&quot; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

China has repeatedly denied the tribunal's authority to rule on the longstanding dispute?

Beijing "does not accept and does not recognise" the ruling by a UN-backed tribunal on its dispute with the Philippines over the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said today. The declaration in a statement on its website followed a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that China has no historic rights to its claimed "nine-dash line". "The award is null and void and has no binding force," the ministry said. "China neither accepts nor recognises it." Beijing "does not accept any means of third party dispute settlement or any solution imposed on China," it added, reiterating its long-standing position on the dispute. China has repeatedly denied the tribunal's authority to rule on the dispute with the Philippines over the strategically vital region, claiming that the court's actions are illegal and biased against it. Beijing refused the opportunity to defend its position before the body. "China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards," the statement said, adding that "China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards." (AFP)

South China Sea ruling: Beijing 'does not accept' decision by The Hague in Philippines' favour

An international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China in a bitter row over territorial claims to the South China Sea that is likely to ratchet up regional tensions. 
 
&quot;The tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the &#39;nine-dash line,&#39;&quot; the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) said in a statement. 
 
All eyes were watching for reaction from the Asian political and military powerhouse, which had fired off a barrage of criticism even before the decision by the PCA in The Hague was announced. 
 
China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea -- about 90 per cent of the strategically vital waters -- in the face of rival claims from its South East Asian neighbours. 
 
Manila had lodged the suit against Beijing in 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues.&nbsp;Beijing waged a months-long campaign to discredit the panel, which it says has no jurisdiction in the multinational dispute, and it refused to take part in the case. 
 
The state-run China Daily topped its front page with a picture of Woody Island in the Paracels, emblazoned: &quot;Arbitration invalid&quot;. 
 
English-language headlines on the official Xinhua news agency included: &quot;South China Sea arbitration abuses international law: Chinese scholar&quot;, &quot;Permanent Court of Arbitration must avoid being used for political purposes&quot; and &quot;The sea where Chinese fishermen live and die&quot;. 
 
Ahead of the decision, new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had signalled he did not want to antagonise China, saying he would not &quot;taunt or flaunt&quot; a favourable ruling and would seek a &quot;soft landing&quot; with China. 
 
Nine-dash line&nbsp; 
 
China&#39;s claims were first enshrined in a map drawn in the 1940s with a nine-dash line stretching south from China and encircling almost all of the sea, although it says Chinese fishermen have been using it for centuries. 
 
To bolster its position it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. 
 
It has held naval drills between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan in recent days. 
 
US naval destroyers have been patrolling near the Chinese-claimed Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands, supported by aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the US-based Navy Times reported. 
 
Chinese state media have said Beijing will not take a &quot;single step back&quot; after the ruling, and President Xi Jinping said earlier this month that China would never compromise on sovereignty, adding: &quot;We are not afraid of trouble&quot;. 
 
China had sought diplomatic support around the world, and foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said its latest backers included Angola, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea, showing that &quot;justice and righteousness always have popular support&quot;. 
 
&quot;Who is upholding the sanctity of international law and who is breaking international law, I think people are all clear about that,&quot; Lu said. 
 
Likely to &#39;escalate the war of words&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, saying China was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. 
 
One of the key issues was whether the land features in the area are islands capable of supporting human habitation - which under UNCLOS are entitled to territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone - or rocks, which only have territorial waters, or low-tide elevations, which get neither. 
 
If none of the outcrops are islands, then none of the claimants to them would gain sole rights to major expanses of the waters around them. 
 
&quot;The ruling can reduce the scope of the South China Sea disputes, but will not solve them,&quot; said analysts Yanmei Xie and Tim Johnston of the International Crisis Group in a report. 
 
The ruling was likely to &quot;escalate the war of words&quot;, they said, but added: &quot;Escalation to military standoffs is not inevitable&quot;. 
 
China could choose to withdraw from UNCLOS, or begin building on Scarborough Shoal, which Washington would view as a provocation. 
 
Beijing could also declare an air defence identification zone over the South China Sea, claiming the right to interrogate aircraft passing through the airspace, or try to remove a ship grounded by the Philippines on Second Thomas Shoal for use as a base. 
 
Alternatively, it could move to reduce tensions. 
 
Philippine foreign minister Perfecto Yasay had said on Friday that Manila hoped to open direct talks with Beijing on the dispute, and presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Tuesday: &quot;The top priority will be national interest.&quot; 
 
The Philippine embassy in China has warned its citizens to beware of personal &quot;threats&quot; and avoid political debates. 
 
Nationalist demonstrations are not rare in China, sometimes apparently with the tacit backing of authorities. 
 
More than 20 Chinese police were positioned outside the Philippine embassy on Tuesday, with more in vans nearby - a significantly larger presence than usual - along with two lorries loaded with crowd control barriers, a possible indication that authorities expected protests at the building. 
 
Official response from China 
 
China rejected an international ruling on the South China Sea on Tuesday, saying its islands had exclusive economic zones and the Chinese people have more than 2,000 years of history of activities there. 
 
China has sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea, including the Spratlys and Paracels, and China&#39;s position is consistent with international law and practice, China&#39;s Foreign Ministry added. 
 
(AFP and Reuters)

China claims 90% of the sea. The Philippines took it to court in 2013, saying that after 17 years it had exhausted all other options

An international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China in a bitter row over territorial claims to the South China Sea that is likely to ratchet up regional tensions. "The tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line,'" the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) said in a statement. All eyes were watching for reaction from the Asian political and military powerhouse, which had fired off a barrage of criticism even before the decision by the PCA in The Hague was announced. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea -- about 90 per cent of the strategically vital waters -- in the face of rival claims from its South East Asian neighbours. Manila had lodged the suit against Beijing in 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues. Beijing waged a months-long campaign to discredit the panel, which it says has no jurisdiction in the multinational dispute, and it refused to take part in the case. The state-run China Daily topped its front page with a picture of Woody Island in the Paracels, emblazoned: "Arbitration invalid". English-language headlines on the official Xinhua news agency included: "South China Sea arbitration abuses international law: Chinese scholar", "Permanent Court of Arbitration must avoid being used for political purposes" and "The sea where Chinese fishermen live and die". Ahead of the decision, new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had signalled he did not want to antagonise China, saying he would not "taunt or flaunt" a favourable ruling and would seek a "soft landing" with China. Nine-dash line China's claims were first enshrined in a map drawn in the 1940s with a nine-dash line stretching south from China and encircling almost all of the sea, although it says Chinese fishermen have been using it for centuries. To bolster its position it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. It has held naval drills between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan in recent days. US naval destroyers have been patrolling near the Chinese-claimed Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands, supported by aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the US-based Navy Times reported. Chinese state media have said Beijing will not take a "single step back" after the ruling, and President Xi Jinping said earlier this month that China would never compromise on sovereignty, adding: "We are not afraid of trouble". China had sought diplomatic support around the world, and foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said its latest backers included Angola, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea, showing that "justice and righteousness always have popular support". "Who is upholding the sanctity of international law and who is breaking international law, I think people are all clear about that," Lu said. Likely to 'escalate the war of words' Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, saying China was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. One of the key issues was whether the land features in the area are islands capable of supporting human habitation - which under UNCLOS are entitled to territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone - or rocks, which only have territorial waters, or low-tide elevations, which get neither. If none of the outcrops are islands, then none of the claimants to them would gain sole rights to major expanses of the waters around them. "The ruling can reduce the scope of the South China Sea disputes, but will not solve them," said analysts Yanmei Xie and Tim Johnston of the International Crisis Group in a report. The ruling was likely to "escalate the war of words", they said, but added: "Escalation to military standoffs is not inevitable". China could choose to withdraw from UNCLOS, or begin building on Scarborough Shoal, which Washington would view as a provocation. Beijing could also declare an air defence identification zone over the South China Sea, claiming the right to interrogate aircraft passing through the airspace, or try to remove a ship grounded by the Philippines on Second Thomas Shoal for use as a base. Alternatively, it could move to reduce tensions. Philippine foreign minister Perfecto Yasay had said on Friday that Manila hoped to open direct talks with Beijing on the dispute, and presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Tuesday: "The top priority will be national interest." The Philippine embassy in China has warned its citizens to beware of personal "threats" and avoid political debates. Nationalist demonstrations are not rare in China, sometimes apparently with the tacit backing of authorities. More than 20 Chinese police were positioned outside the Philippine embassy on Tuesday, with more in vans nearby - a significantly larger presence than usual - along with two lorries loaded with crowd control barriers, a possible indication that authorities expected protests at the building. Official response from China China rejected an international ruling on the South China Sea on Tuesday, saying its islands had exclusive economic zones and the Chinese people have more than 2,000 years of history of activities there. China has sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea, including the Spratlys and Paracels, and China's position is consistent with international law and practice, China's Foreign Ministry added. (AFP and Reuters)

South China Sea dispute: Hague rules against China

Beijing has begun military drills in the South China Sea, state media reported today ahead of a ruling by an international arbitration court on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. 
 
The navy on Friday carried out &quot;combat exercises&quot; with &quot;live missiles&quot; between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the PLA Daily, the military&#39;s official newspaper, said on its website. 
 
State television CCTV broadcast images of fighter aircraft and ships firing missiles, helicopters taking off and submarines surfacing. 
 
&quot;The drill focused on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare&quot;, said the PLA Daily, whose article was reposted on the defence ministry website. 
 
The military manoeuvres come as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to make its final decision on Tuesday in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. 
 
The PLA Daily however insisted they were &quot;routine exercises&quot; and unrelated to the court&#39;s ruling. 
 
China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. 
 
To bolster its claims it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. 
 
Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China&#39;s claims to much of the strategic waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. 
 
Beijing has boycotted the proceedings, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. 
 
The Philippines said on Friday it was willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested seas even if it wins next week&#39;s legal challenge. 
 
Foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay told AFP that President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday&#39;s verdict. 
 
He said the negotiations could cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The navy carried out 'combat exercises' with 'live missiles' between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan

Beijing has begun military drills in the South China Sea, state media reported today ahead of a ruling by an international arbitration court on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. The navy on Friday carried out "combat exercises" with "live missiles" between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the PLA Daily, the military's official newspaper, said on its website. State television CCTV broadcast images of fighter aircraft and ships firing missiles, helicopters taking off and submarines surfacing. "The drill focused on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare", said the PLA Daily, whose article was reposted on the defence ministry website. The military manoeuvres come as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to make its final decision on Tuesday in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. The PLA Daily however insisted they were "routine exercises" and unrelated to the court's ruling. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. To bolster its claims it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China's claims to much of the strategic waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. Beijing has boycotted the proceedings, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. The Philippines said on Friday it was willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested seas even if it wins next week's legal challenge. Foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay told AFP that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday's verdict. He said the negotiations could cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. (AFP)

Beijing holds South China Sea war games before Hague ruling

The Philippines is willing to share natural resources with Beijing in contested South China Sea areas even if it wins a legal challenge next week, foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay said today. 
 
Yasay said President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday&#39;s verdict, with the negotiations to cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone. 
 
&quot;We can even have the objective of seeing how we can jointly explore this territory. How we can utilise and benefit mutually from the utilisation of the resources in this exclusive economic zone where claims are overlapping,&quot; Yasay said in an interview. 
 
The Philippines, under Benigno Aquino&#39;s previous administration, filed a legal challenge with a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague contesting China&#39;s claims to nearly all of the strategically vital sea. 
 
China`s claims reach almost to the coasts of the Philippines and some other Southeast Asian nations, and it has in recent years built giant artificial islands in the contested areas to enforce what it says are its indisputable sovereign rights. 
 
The Philippines` case enraged China, which repeatedly vowed to ignore the tribunal`s ruling and is currently holding military drills in the northern part of the sea as a show of force. 
 
Duterte, who took office on June 30, has adopted a more conciliatory approach to China than Aquino. 
 
The previous president refused to hold direct talks, and likened China`s expansionist efforts in the sea to Nazi Germany`s march on parts of Europe ahead of World War II. 
 
Yasay signalled on Friday that Duterte would be making no such analogies, emphasising his administration would seek to ensure the best possible relations with China. 
 
&quot;I would like to be forward-looking on these matters,&quot; he said when asked to comment on Aquino`s Nazi statement. 
 
&quot;I would like to make sure whatever actions this administration will take, the statements we will be making will be in the pursuit of strengthening our relationship with everybody and will be for the purpose of making sure there will be no stumbling block to our negotiating a peaceful solution to the issue.&quot; 
 
He also said China and the Philippines had agreed not to make any &quot;provocative statements&quot; following the release of the ruling. 
 
Yasay said after the ruling the Philippines would study it closely, discuss it with allies, and then seek to launch talks with China &quot;as soon as possible&quot;. 
 
Yasay said the Philippines was open to sharing Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines` exclusive economic zone that China took control of in 2012. 
 
He said the Philippines would also consider jointly exploring a natural gas field at Reed Bank, which is also within the Philippines` exclusive economic zone. 
 
However Yasay insisted the Philippines would not concede any of its rights in the sea. 
 
Duterte and Yasay met with China`s ambassador to the Philippines, Zhao Jianhua, on Thursday. Zhao was seen again at the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

'Negotiations to jointly cover natural gas reserves and fishing grounds with Philippines exclusive economic zone will begin begin soon '

The Philippines is willing to share natural resources with Beijing in contested South China Sea areas even if it wins a legal challenge next week, foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay said today. Yasay said President Rodrigo Duterte's administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday's verdict, with the negotiations to cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. "We can even have the objective of seeing how we can jointly explore this territory. How we can utilise and benefit mutually from the utilisation of the resources in this exclusive economic zone where claims are overlapping," Yasay said in an interview. The Philippines, under Benigno Aquino's previous administration, filed a legal challenge with a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague contesting China's claims to nearly all of the strategically vital sea. China`s claims reach almost to the coasts of the Philippines and some other Southeast Asian nations, and it has in recent years built giant artificial islands in the contested areas to enforce what it says are its indisputable sovereign rights. The Philippines` case enraged China, which repeatedly vowed to ignore the tribunal`s ruling and is currently holding military drills in the northern part of the sea as a show of force. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has adopted a more conciliatory approach to China than Aquino. The previous president refused to hold direct talks, and likened China`s expansionist efforts in the sea to Nazi Germany`s march on parts of Europe ahead of World War II. Yasay signalled on Friday that Duterte would be making no such analogies, emphasising his administration would seek to ensure the best possible relations with China. "I would like to be forward-looking on these matters," he said when asked to comment on Aquino`s Nazi statement. "I would like to make sure whatever actions this administration will take, the statements we will be making will be in the pursuit of strengthening our relationship with everybody and will be for the purpose of making sure there will be no stumbling block to our negotiating a peaceful solution to the issue." He also said China and the Philippines had agreed not to make any "provocative statements" following the release of the ruling. Yasay said after the ruling the Philippines would study it closely, discuss it with allies, and then seek to launch talks with China "as soon as possible". Yasay said the Philippines was open to sharing Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines` exclusive economic zone that China took control of in 2012. He said the Philippines would also consider jointly exploring a natural gas field at Reed Bank, which is also within the Philippines` exclusive economic zone. However Yasay insisted the Philippines would not concede any of its rights in the sea. Duterte and Yasay met with China`s ambassador to the Philippines, Zhao Jianhua, on Thursday. Zhao was seen again at the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday. (AFP)

Philippines willing to share resources in South China Sea with Beijing

China&#39;s foreign minister spoke with the US secretary of state John Kerry over telephone on Wednesday, ahead of a key international court ruling on China&#39;s South China Sea claims, and warned Washington against moves that infringe on China&#39;s sovereignty, Beijing&#39;s official Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
Xinhua said Wang Yi repeated China&#39;s rejection of the jurisdiction of the International Court of Arbitration in a case the Philippines has brought against China&#39;s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea, calling it a &quot;farce&quot; that should come to an end.&nbsp; 
 
The court, based in The Hague, is due to give its ruling on Tuesday, raising fears of confrontation in the region. US officials say the US response should China stick to its vow to ignore the ruling could include stepped up freedom-of-navigation patrols close to Chinese claimed islands in what is one of the world&#39;s business trade routes. 
 
In the call initiated by Kerry, Wang &quot;urged the United States to honour its commitment to not to take sides on issues related to sovereign disputes, to be prudent with its actions and words, and not to take any actions that infringe upon the sovereignty and security interests of China,&quot; Xinhua said. 
 
Wang said that regardless of the tribunal&#39;s ruling, China would &quot;firmly safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and legitimate maritime rights and firmly safeguard the peace and stability,&quot; Xinhua said. 
 
Wang also said that relations between China and the United States were generally on a sound track and that the two sides should further focus on cooperation while properly managing their differences. 
 
The US State Department confirmed that Kerry had spoken by phone to Wang. 
 
&quot;The two discussed issues of mutual interest. We are not going to get into the details on this private diplomatic conversation,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Gabrielle Price said. 
 
China has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea in recent months and on Tuesday launched what the Defense Ministry termed &quot;routine&quot; military drills there.&nbsp; 
 
On Tuesday, Beijing sought to downplay fears of conflict in the South China Sea after an influential state-run newspaper said Beijing should prepare for military confrontation. 
 
US officials say they fear China may respond to the ruling from The Hague by declaring an air defence identification zone in the South China Sea, as it did in the East China Sea in 2013, and by stepping up its building and fortification of artificial islands. 
 
(Reuters)

Regional tension increases as China calls The Hague 'a farce' before the court releases its verdict

China's foreign minister spoke with the US secretary of state John Kerry over telephone on Wednesday, ahead of a key international court ruling on China's South China Sea claims, and warned Washington against moves that infringe on China's sovereignty, Beijing's official Xinhua news agency reported. Xinhua said Wang Yi repeated China's rejection of the jurisdiction of the International Court of Arbitration in a case the Philippines has brought against China's claims to nearly all of the South China Sea, calling it a "farce" that should come to an end. The court, based in The Hague, is due to give its ruling on Tuesday, raising fears of confrontation in the region. US officials say the US response should China stick to its vow to ignore the ruling could include stepped up freedom-of-navigation patrols close to Chinese claimed islands in what is one of the world's business trade routes. In the call initiated by Kerry, Wang "urged the United States to honour its commitment to not to take sides on issues related to sovereign disputes, to be prudent with its actions and words, and not to take any actions that infringe upon the sovereignty and security interests of China," Xinhua said. Wang said that regardless of the tribunal's ruling, China would "firmly safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and legitimate maritime rights and firmly safeguard the peace and stability," Xinhua said. Wang also said that relations between China and the United States were generally on a sound track and that the two sides should further focus on cooperation while properly managing their differences. The US State Department confirmed that Kerry had spoken by phone to Wang. "The two discussed issues of mutual interest. We are not going to get into the details on this private diplomatic conversation," State Department spokeswoman Gabrielle Price said. China has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea in recent months and on Tuesday launched what the Defense Ministry termed "routine" military drills there. On Tuesday, Beijing sought to downplay fears of conflict in the South China Sea after an influential state-run newspaper said Beijing should prepare for military confrontation. US officials say they fear China may respond to the ruling from The Hague by declaring an air defence identification zone in the South China Sea, as it did in the East China Sea in 2013, and by stepping up its building and fortification of artificial islands. (Reuters)

China warns US about controversial South China Sea sovereignty ahead of court ruling

China&#39;s air force on Wednesday put into service a new, domestically-developed large transport aircraft, as part of the government&#39;s ambitious modernisation programme. 
 
The Y-20 has a maximum takeoff weight of 200 tonnes, and is ideal for carrying cargo and people over long distances in difficult weather conditions, the air force said in a short statement on its official microblog. 
 
&quot;The Y-20 entering service marks a crucial step for the air force in improving its strategic power projection capability,&quot; air force spokesman Shen Jinke said in the statement. 
 
The air force needs more and better transport aircraft to help fulfil its military responsibilities, including safeguarding national security as well as rescue and relief work, Shen added. 
 
China&#39;s development of the Y-20 is an important, breakthrough step in the country&#39;s aircraft development programme, the air force said.&nbsp;The aircraft took its maiden flight in January 2013, Xinhua news agency added. 
 
China has been ramping up research into advanced new military equipment, including submarines, aircraft carriers and anti-satellite missiles, which has rattled nerves regionally and in Washington as China takes a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places like the South China Sea. 
 
The air force is also developing stealth fighters. 
 
(Reuters)

The Y-20 is ideal for carrying cargo and people over long distances in difficult weather conditions

China's air force on Wednesday put into service a new, domestically-developed large transport aircraft, as part of the government's ambitious modernisation programme. The Y-20 has a maximum takeoff weight of 200 tonnes, and is ideal for carrying cargo and people over long distances in difficult weather conditions, the air force said in a short statement on its official microblog. "The Y-20 entering service marks a crucial step for the air force in improving its strategic power projection capability," air force spokesman Shen Jinke said in the statement. The air force needs more and better transport aircraft to help fulfil its military responsibilities, including safeguarding national security as well as rescue and relief work, Shen added. China's development of the Y-20 is an important, breakthrough step in the country's aircraft development programme, the air force said. The aircraft took its maiden flight in January 2013, Xinhua news agency added. China has been ramping up research into advanced new military equipment, including submarines, aircraft carriers and anti-satellite missiles, which has rattled nerves regionally and in Washington as China takes a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places like the South China Sea. The air force is also developing stealth fighters. (Reuters)

Chinese air force puts new transport aircraft into service

China should prepare itself for military confrontation in the South China Sea, an influential Chinese paper said today, a week ahead of a decision by an international court on a dispute there between China and the Philippines. 
 
Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the argument between China and the Philippines over South China Sea in the Dutch city of The Hague. 
 
In joint editorials in its Chinese and English editions, the state-run Global Times said the dispute, having already been complicated by US intervention, now faces further escalation due to the threat posed by the tribunal to China&#39;s sovereignty. 
 
&quot;Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea, and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China&#39;s obedience,&quot; it said. 
 
China should speed up developing its military deterrence abilities, the paper added. 
 
&quot;Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;China hopes disputes can be resolved by talks, but it must be prepared for any military confrontation. This is common sense in international relations.&quot; 
 
The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party&#39;s official People&#39;s Daily, and while it is widely read in policy-making circles it does not have the same mouthpiece function as its parent. 
 
China, which has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea, will be holding military drills in the waters there starting from Wednesday. 
 
China&#39;s defence ministry said the drills are routine, the official China Daily reported. 
 
US officials have expressed concern that the Hague court ruling could prompt Beijing to declare an air defence identification zone (ADIZ)&nbsp;as it did over the East China Sea in 2013. 
 
What response China takes will &quot;fully depend&quot; on the Philippines, the China Daily added, citing unidentified sources. 
 
&quot;There will be no incident at all if all related parties put aside the arbitration results,&quot; one of the sources told the English-language publication. 
 
&quot;China has never taken a lead in ... stirring up regional tension,&quot; another source&nbsp;added. 
 
About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China&#39;s territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. 
 
(Reuters)

Tensions are rising ahead of a July 12 ruling in The Hague where an arbitration court will hear the argument between China and Philippines

China should prepare itself for military confrontation in the South China Sea, an influential Chinese paper said today, a week ahead of a decision by an international court on a dispute there between China and the Philippines. Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the argument between China and the Philippines over South China Sea in the Dutch city of The Hague. In joint editorials in its Chinese and English editions, the state-run Global Times said the dispute, having already been complicated by US intervention, now faces further escalation due to the threat posed by the tribunal to China's sovereignty. "Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea, and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China's obedience," it said. China should speed up developing its military deterrence abilities, the paper added. "Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force," it said. "China hopes disputes can be resolved by talks, but it must be prepared for any military confrontation. This is common sense in international relations." The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, and while it is widely read in policy-making circles it does not have the same mouthpiece function as its parent. China, which has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea, will be holding military drills in the waters there starting from Wednesday. China's defence ministry said the drills are routine, the official China Daily reported. US officials have expressed concern that the Hague court ruling could prompt Beijing to declare an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) as it did over the East China Sea in 2013. What response China takes will "fully depend" on the Philippines, the China Daily added, citing unidentified sources. "There will be no incident at all if all related parties put aside the arbitration results," one of the sources told the English-language publication. "China has never taken a lead in ... stirring up regional tension," another source added. About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China's territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. (Reuters)

State must prepare for conflict in South China Sea: Chinese newspaper

A little-known international tribunal will early next month step into a bitter dispute over the South China Sea, handing down a ruling which risks further inflaming tensions between Southeast Asian nations and China. 
 
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) , the world&#39;s oldest international tribunal for the peaceful resolution of disputes between nations, said on Wednesday that it will rule on July 12 in the highly-watched case brought by the Philippines challenging China&#39;s claims to much of 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.&nbsp; 
 
But Beijing, angered by Manila&#39;s move, has refused to participate in any hearings, and said it will not comply with any decisions by the tribunal based in The Hague. 
 
The court, which was set up in 1899, said in a statement Wednesday that it had informed the parties it would issue its ruling at about 11 am (0900 GMT) on July 12. 
 
The written decision will first be emailed to the parties, and then released to the press and uploaded onto the PCA&#39;s website. 
 
Tensions in the South China Sea have also alarmed other nations, notably the United States, which has key defence treaties with many allies in the region, and in a show of strength has sent warships close to some of the Chinese claimed reefs. 
 
Spanning more than three years, two hearings and nearly 4,000 pages of evidence, the arbitration case in The Hague is extremely complex, and has already drawn anger in Beijing.&nbsp; 
 
In essence, the world economic and military power claims most of the sea, even waters approaching neighbouring countries, based on a vaguely defined &quot;nine-dash&quot; Chinese map dating back to the 1940s. 
 
The Philippines disputes this and while it has stressed that it is not asking the court to rule on sovereignty or to delimit any boundaries it has asked the tribunal to rule on other key points. 
 
Basing its arguments on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Manila contends that the &quot;nine-dash&quot; line has no basis under international law and Beijing has no &quot;historic&quot; claim to the ocean. 
 
Manila has further argued that Beijing violated the UN convention by preventing it from exercising its fishing and exploration rights and that Chinese fishing boats have irreversibly damaged coral reefs. 
 
The Philippine government further says that some of the &quot;islands&quot; that Beijing claims as Chinese territory are rocks and not entitled to an exclusive economic zone. 
 
&quot;China will be obliged under international law to comply with the decision, and with all its obligations under the law of the sea as clarified by the arbitral tribunal. 
 
But being bound by the decision says nothing about means of enforcing it,&quot; Joris Larik, a senior researcher with the think-tank The Hague Institute for Global Justice, told AFP. 
 
He said any ruling &quot;in favour of the Philippines on any of the points it raises would be a blow to China&#39;s expansive nine dash line claims.&quot; 
But Larik acknowledged that &quot;enforcement is the Achilles Heel of public international law. 
 
The PCA is an extreme example of that. &quot;Tensions have been growing for years in the South China Sea, as Beijing has sought to expand its presence in what is a main maritime link between the Pacific and Indian oceans. 
 
Its shipping lanes connect East Asia with Europe and the Middle East, and over $5 trillion (4.5 trillion euros) in ship-borne trade passes through the sea annually. 
 
Major unexploited oil and gas deposits are also believed to lie under the seabed. 
 
China has conducted massive dredging and artificial island-building activities in the Spratlys, dwarfing the scale of reclamation work of other claimants.&nbsp; 
 
In April, the United States launched joint South China Sea patrols with its key ally Manila and has consistently called for a diplomatic solution to the standoff. 
 
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the strategic waterway. 
 
And last week Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the remote Indonesian Natuna islands on a warship in an apparent show of force after clashes with Chinese vessels. 
 
(AFP)

Spanning more than three years, two hearings and nearly 4,000 pages of evidence, the arbitration case has drawn anger in Beijing

A little-known international tribunal will early next month step into a bitter dispute over the South China Sea, handing down a ruling which risks further inflaming tensions between Southeast Asian nations and China. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) , the world's oldest international tribunal for the peaceful resolution of disputes between nations, said on Wednesday that it will rule on July 12 in the highly-watched case brought by the Philippines challenging China's claims to much of 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. But Beijing, angered by Manila's move, has refused to participate in any hearings, and said it will not comply with any decisions by the tribunal based in The Hague. The court, which was set up in 1899, said in a statement Wednesday that it had informed the parties it would issue its ruling at about 11 am (0900 GMT) on July 12. The written decision will first be emailed to the parties, and then released to the press and uploaded onto the PCA's website. Tensions in the South China Sea have also alarmed other nations, notably the United States, which has key defence treaties with many allies in the region, and in a show of strength has sent warships close to some of the Chinese claimed reefs. Spanning more than three years, two hearings and nearly 4,000 pages of evidence, the arbitration case in The Hague is extremely complex, and has already drawn anger in Beijing. In essence, the world economic and military power claims most of the sea, even waters approaching neighbouring countries, based on a vaguely defined "nine-dash" Chinese map dating back to the 1940s. The Philippines disputes this and while it has stressed that it is not asking the court to rule on sovereignty or to delimit any boundaries it has asked the tribunal to rule on other key points. Basing its arguments on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Manila contends that the "nine-dash" line has no basis under international law and Beijing has no "historic" claim to the ocean. Manila has further argued that Beijing violated the UN convention by preventing it from exercising its fishing and exploration rights and that Chinese fishing boats have irreversibly damaged coral reefs. The Philippine government further says that some of the "islands" that Beijing claims as Chinese territory are rocks and not entitled to an exclusive economic zone. "China will be obliged under international law to comply with the decision, and with all its obligations under the law of the sea as clarified by the arbitral tribunal. But being bound by the decision says nothing about means of enforcing it," Joris Larik, a senior researcher with the think-tank The Hague Institute for Global Justice, told AFP. He said any ruling "in favour of the Philippines on any of the points it raises would be a blow to China's expansive nine dash line claims." But Larik acknowledged that "enforcement is the Achilles Heel of public international law. The PCA is an extreme example of that. "Tensions have been growing for years in the South China Sea, as Beijing has sought to expand its presence in what is a main maritime link between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Its shipping lanes connect East Asia with Europe and the Middle East, and over $5 trillion (4.5 trillion euros) in ship-borne trade passes through the sea annually. Major unexploited oil and gas deposits are also believed to lie under the seabed. China has conducted massive dredging and artificial island-building activities in the Spratlys, dwarfing the scale of reclamation work of other claimants. In April, the United States launched joint South China Sea patrols with its key ally Manila and has consistently called for a diplomatic solution to the standoff. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the strategic waterway. And last week Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the remote Indonesian Natuna islands on a warship in an apparent show of force after clashes with Chinese vessels. (AFP)

Hague court to pass a ruling on July 12 in South China sea case

Southeast Asian countries withdrew a statement that expressed the region&#39;s deep concerns over rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea, where China has been involved in territorial disputes. 
 
The strongly-worded statement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), released by the Malaysian foreign ministry, did not name China directly but warned against raising tensions in the contested waters, where Beijing has been building artificial islands and increasing its military presence. 
 
&quot;We expressed our serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea,&quot; said the statement, which was issued following a meeting in the Chinese city of Kunming between ASEAN and China&#39;s foreign ministers. 
 
But just hours later, a Malaysian ministry spokeswoman recalled the statement, saying &quot;urgent amendments&quot; needed to be made and an updated version would be distributed. 
 
However, no updated joint statement was later issued and the spokeswoman said countries would now issue individual statements. 
 
China lays historical claim to most of the South China Sea, with its Nine Dash line stretching deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, covering hundreds disputed islands and reefs, rich fishing grounds and oil and gas deposits. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims over the region, through which trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade passes every year. 
 
Ian Storey, an analyst at Singapore&#39;s Institute of Southeast Asian studies (ISEAS), said the retraction of the initial statement showed the lack of unity between ASEAN members on the South China Sea disputes. 
 
&quot;The initial statement repeated ASEAN&rsquo;s existing concerns over China&rsquo;s artificial island building and the militarization of the dispute, but also countered China&rsquo;s position that the dispute should be settled by the parties directly concerned and that it is not an issue between ASEAN and China.&quot; 
 
&quot;Perhaps this proved too much for some of the member states and the statement was withdrawn,&quot; Storey said. 
 
The ASEAN-China meeting was held ahead of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on a case brought by the Philippines contesting Beijing&#39;s claims in the South China Sea. 
 
China has refused to recognise the case and says all disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks. The case has become the centre of an international diplomatic arm wrestle, with the United States and its allies insisting on international law be obeyed and China saying it has widespread support for its position, including from some ASEAN members. 
 
Vietnam&#39;s ministry of foreign affairs, in a statement on the Kunming meeting, made no reference to the earlier ASEAN statement but echoed its concerns over increased military build-up in the South China Sea, &quot;especially the large-scale accretion and embellishment and construction of the reefs, the militarization of the artificial islands and actions of sovereignty claims that are not based on international law.&rdquo; 
 
Singapore and Indonesia, meanwhile, took a softer tone calling on ASEAN and China to &quot;continue working together to maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea.&quot; 
 
An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said the initial statement was a &quot;media guideline&quot; which had been prepared for a planned press conference for the conclusion of the meeting. 
 
&quot;However because of the meeting dynamics where the meeting extended a few hours past schedule, the press conference was cancelled and a number of ASEAN FM had to leave immediately,&quot; Armanatha Nasir said.&nbsp;

Association of Southeast Asian Nations did not name China but raised concern at Beijing's growing military presence in the South China Sea

Southeast Asian countries withdrew a statement that expressed the region's deep concerns over rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea, where China has been involved in territorial disputes. The strongly-worded statement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), released by the Malaysian foreign ministry, did not name China directly but warned against raising tensions in the contested waters, where Beijing has been building artificial islands and increasing its military presence. "We expressed our serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea," said the statement, which was issued following a meeting in the Chinese city of Kunming between ASEAN and China's foreign ministers. But just hours later, a Malaysian ministry spokeswoman recalled the statement, saying "urgent amendments" needed to be made and an updated version would be distributed. However, no updated joint statement was later issued and the spokeswoman said countries would now issue individual statements. China lays historical claim to most of the South China Sea, with its Nine Dash line stretching deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, covering hundreds disputed islands and reefs, rich fishing grounds and oil and gas deposits. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims over the region, through which trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade passes every year. Ian Storey, an analyst at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian studies (ISEAS), said the retraction of the initial statement showed the lack of unity between ASEAN members on the South China Sea disputes. "The initial statement repeated ASEAN’s existing concerns over China’s artificial island building and the militarization of the dispute, but also countered China’s position that the dispute should be settled by the parties directly concerned and that it is not an issue between ASEAN and China." "Perhaps this proved too much for some of the member states and the statement was withdrawn," Storey said. The ASEAN-China meeting was held ahead of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on a case brought by the Philippines contesting Beijing's claims in the South China Sea. China has refused to recognise the case and says all disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks. The case has become the centre of an international diplomatic arm wrestle, with the United States and its allies insisting on international law be obeyed and China saying it has widespread support for its position, including from some ASEAN members. Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs, in a statement on the Kunming meeting, made no reference to the earlier ASEAN statement but echoed its concerns over increased military build-up in the South China Sea, "especially the large-scale accretion and embellishment and construction of the reefs, the militarization of the artificial islands and actions of sovereignty claims that are not based on international law.” Singapore and Indonesia, meanwhile, took a softer tone calling on ASEAN and China to "continue working together to maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea." An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said the initial statement was a "media guideline" which had been prepared for a planned press conference for the conclusion of the meeting. "However because of the meeting dynamics where the meeting extended a few hours past schedule, the press conference was cancelled and a number of ASEAN FM had to leave immediately," Armanatha Nasir said.

ASEAN countries walk back on statement on South China Sea

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard.&nbsp; 
 
The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said.&nbsp; 
 
Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. 
 
Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world&#39;s oceans and for the projection of its naval power. 
 
The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. 
 
The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a &quot;decoy&quot; to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. 
 
Blocking China&#39;s unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan&#39;s main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. 
 
By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. 
 
The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. 
 
Wary of China&#39;s more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy&#39;s Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. 
 
For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China&#39;s eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise. 
(Reuters)

The joint US, Japanese and Indian naval exercise comes at a time when Beijing tries to extend its influence far away from its shores

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard. The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said. Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world's oceans and for the projection of its naval power. The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a "decoy" to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Blocking China's unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan's main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Wary of China's more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy's Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China's eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise. (Reuters)

Chinese spy ship shadows US, Japanese, Indian naval drill in the Western Pacific

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard.&nbsp; 
 
The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said.&nbsp; 
 
Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. 
 
Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world&#39;s oceans and for the projection of its naval power. 
 
The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. 
 
The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a &quot;decoy&quot; to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. 
 
Blocking China&#39;s unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan&#39;s main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. 
 
By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. 
 
The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. 
 
Wary of China&#39;s more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy&#39;s Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. 
 
For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China&#39;s eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise.

The show of the US and Japan in the eight-day naval drill comes over anxiety of Beijing extending its influence into the western Pacific

A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C. Stennis, in the Western Pacific today, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard. The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea. A Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane around 3:30 a.m. local time off the southwestern prefacture of Kagoshima today, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshige Seko said. Only last week, Japan had summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern after a Chinese navy ship sailed close to what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea for the first time, increasing tensions over the disputed area. Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world's oceans and for the projection of its naval power. The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar. The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a "decoy" to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Blocking China's unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan's main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries. By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea. The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Wary of China's more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy's Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday. For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China's eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise.

south-china-sea-0

South China Sea, News on South China Sea, stories on South China Sea, articles on South China Sea, South China Sea stories at Wion, South China Sea news, South China Sea latest news

south china-sea-0