Tensions are growing ahead of the ruling expected on Tuesday, with China and the United States sending more military vessels to the contested area.
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China hopes the U.S.
China’s navy is holding a week of military drills around the disputed islands ahead of a ruling by an worldwide tribunal in a case filed by the Philippines challenging China’s claim to most of the South China Sea.
“Therefore, the arbitral tribunal which clearly has been expanding and over-stretching its jurisdiction beyond the limit has no jurisdiction at all (over the South China Sea disputes)”, Wang said.
During Wednesday’s conversation with Kerry, Wang described the arbitration process as a “farce” ridden with “illogical and flawed application of procedures, laws and evidences”.
The Philippines brought its long-simmering disputes with China in the South China Sea to global arbitration in January 2013 after Beijing took control of disputed Scarborough Shoal following a standoff.
“If we get the verdict we expect, it is imperative to cull the best thinking on different post-arbitration scenarios and initiate dialogue on strategically approaching geopolitical, economic, and social changes in the region.” said Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute.
On Wednesday, China’s former top diplomat, Dai Bingguo, cautioned the U.S. against “heavy-handed” intervention in the South China Sea, adding that Beijing will not heed the ruling as it would be “nothing more than a piece of waste paper”.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday he has stressed to China the need for differences over the disputed South China to be resolved peacefully.
Picquart hopes that the dispute between China and the Philippines “would be settled through bilateral negotiations based on respect for historical facts and in accordance with global law”.
The USS Ronald Reagan and its contingent have also been sailing the South China Sea since last week.
“We in China will not be intimidated by the U.S. actions”, said Mr Dai Bingguo, a former state councillor in charge of foreign affairs, on Tuesday.
The editorial added: “Even though China cannot keep up with the United States militarily in the short term, it should be able to let the USA pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force”.
Second, all claimants should respect freedom of navigation and overflight in the region; and third, all the claimants should address the disputes through peaceful means, and Taiwan should be included in any multilateral mechanism to deal with such disputes, Huang said.
The United States Navy has quietly been patrolling the waters around Chinese man-made islands in the South China Sea, the Navy Times reports.
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The ruling was likely to result in “increasing threats” to China, which “has to be prepared for all eventualities”, it said, adding: “This is not being alarmist, it is being realistic”.
