PLA to hold South China Sea exercise ahead of ruling
By ZHANG YUNBI (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-07-04 10:58
 |
|
A formation of the Nanhai Fleet of China's Navy on Saturday finished a three-day patrol of the Nansha islands in the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua] |
The People's Liberation Army will start military exercises in a designated area in the South China Sea from Tuesday to July 11, ahead of a planned ruling by an arbitral tribunal in the Hague this month.
According to a navigation alert issued by the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration on Sunday, entry of ships will be prohibited, and the alert stated coordinates of the designated area for the exercises.
The Associated Press observed that the exercise area covers China's Xisha Islands.
The Philippines sought unilateral arbitral proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2013.
Despite Beijing's unchanged objection to the arbitration, the arbitral tribunal was established and registered at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. The PCA announced last month that the tribunal will issue its finding on July 12.
- US behind rising tension in South China Sea: S African commentator
- Int'l experts criticize Hague arbitration tribunal over South China Sea
- Philippines' call for South China Sea arbitration 'catastrophic mistake: Serbian MP
- Hague to issue South China Sea ruling in 12 days
- China says Arbitral Tribunal has no jurisdiction over South China Sea case
- Arbitration on South China Sea dispute 'to solve nothing': Cypriot expert
- 186 people dead in heavy rains
- Second Yangtze warning issued on flooding peak
- Anti-corruption battle set to be intensified
- Bus arsonist gets death penalty in China
- China on orange alert for rainstorms
- Lhasa rail celebrates first decade
- Animals aiding quake detection
- Death toll from SW China landslide rises to 20
- China warns of geological disasters as rainstorm triggers another orange alert
- China issues first orange alert of 2016 for rainstorm
