E-Paper
Beijing to hold South China Sea war games after tribunal ruling
BEIJING: Days after an international tribunal ruled China had no historic rights to islands in the South China Sea, Beijing announced that access to parts of the
BEIJING: Days after an international tribunal ruled China had no historic rights to islands in the South China Sea, Beijing announced that access to parts of the disputed region will be blocked for a few days for a naval drill beginning on Tuesday.
On July 12, a tribunal formed by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s claims to exclusive economic rights across large swathes of the South China Sea in response to a petition filed by the Philippines.
China dismissed the ruling, saying the court had no jurisdiction to rule on the region.
Following the ruling, Beijing has been on the offensive, claiming the support scores of countries and saying it will not follow the verdict. Monday’ s announcement on the naval drill came against the backdrop of China’s aggressive military posturing.
China’s Maritime Safety Administration made an announcement on Monday that ships were “prohibited” from entering a certain area off the coast of Hainan between July 19 and July 21 as the navy will conduct a drill. The area off the east coast of China’s island province of Hainan will host military exercises, the administration said on its website, adding that entrance was “prohibited”.
Reuters quoted a senior Chinese admiral as saying freedom of navigation patrols carried out by foreign navies in the South China Sea could end in disaster.
“When has freedom of navigation in the SCS ever been affected? It has not, whether in the past or now, and in the future there won’t be a problem as long as nobody plays tricks,” Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of the powerful Central Military Commission, was quoted as saying.
“But China consistently opposes so-called military freedom of navigation which brings with it a military threat, and which challenges and disrespects the international law of the sea,” Sun said.
