Group Corp and China Communications Construction Co Ltd, will buy between five and eight ships, the official China Daily reported.
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The timing is unusually bad for KFC, which is China’s biggest restaurant chain with more than 5,000 outlets but is overhauling its struggling business after a food scandal and marketing missteps.
This was reflected in a Chinese white paper published immediately after the ruling on July 13 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal, which Chong said which made “some room for negotiation” on issues relating to territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea.
In recent days, small groups of protesters have gathered outside KFC outlets, starting in Hebei and spreading to other places including Changsha and Hangzhou, media reports said. Beijing has refused to abide by the worldwide verdict and did not participate in the proceedings brought by the Philippines–one of the maritime neighbours with which China has been at the loggerheads over the water body which is not only a rich reserve of natural resources but also a key route of global trading.
In a statement carried by state news agency SANA, the ministry said Syria support China’s sovereignty over the South China Sea territories in tandem with the global law. A flotilla of five fishing boats festooned with Taiwanese flags also sailed to the island.
What have state media said?
China’s authoritarian government generally forbids most forms of protest, but is also wary of being accused of stifling patriotism. “Those who organize such activities without going through the necessary procedures and unlawfully harass others in the name of patriotism should be held accountable according to the law”.
Photos circulated online show young Chinese wearing scarves with patriotic slogans smashing Apple iPhones in protest.
China refused to participate in the proceedings and rejected the findings.
As a result, China’s neighbors and the United States-which has treaty obligations with the Philippines, Japan and South Korea and growing partnerships with other Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Vietnam-“must be ready for a much more rigid and belligerent Chinese posture…”
China says it wants direct talks with the Philippines over the dispute, but Manila says it won’t agree as long as Beijing continues to disregard the arbitration tribunal’s ruling.
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In May, the Pentagon said two Chinese fighter jets made an “unsafe” intercept of a US spy plane in the South China Sea, coming so close that they forced the USA pilot to descend in order to avoid a collision.
