China has condemned Japan’s action over an incident that resulted in a scramble of military jets from the two countries which took place over the disputed islands in the East China Sea last month, Reuters reported.
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Bilateral talks had been China’s preferred tack from the start to solve the the dispute in the South China Sea.
The alleged ongoing land reclamation of China at Subi reef is seen from Pagasa island (Thitu Island) in the Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, May 11, 2015.
Regarding the Global Times comments, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told a regular briefing the United States did “not seek any confrontation with China” but would maintain its “stabilizing” presence in the region.
China should speed up developing its military deterrence abilities, the paper added.
Yasay said: “In any event, the question is, do we have somebody in charge?”
“And those times when our sovereignty and freedom were threatened, I sensed in the heart of a country that has witnessed acts of courage and valor in times when our shores were invaded and those times when our sovereignty and freedom were threatened”, Yasay said.
Experts say the landmark ruling could have major implications for China’s wider claims in the region and Beijing has refused to recognise the court’s authority, rejecting the case as a “farce”.
China’s Maritime Safety Administration, in a statement on its official website, said the drills would be held in the east of Hainan Island including the Paracels.
The Chinese military exercises are above all meant as a warning to the United States, which has deliberately inflamed territorial disputes in the South China Sea over the past six years as part of its “pivot to Asia”.
China has also criticized Western media for their coverage of the South China Sea dispute, claiming it is a U.S.-backed campaign created to discredit Beijing while ignoring the lighthouses and meteorological forecast facilities that have been built by China for the “public good”. “We will not resort to threats of military force or shows of military strength at another’s doorstep”, he said, seemingly referring to frequent patrols by American warships.
Finally, the Philippines wants the court to determine if China has infringed on its territorial rights through China’s construction and fishing activities in the sea.
Dai reiterated China’s call for an immediate halt to the hearings by the worldwide court.
Palestine has expressed its support towards China’s sovereignty over the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, and will not accept settlement of the dispute through compulsory arbitration.
Should the court rule that Taiping Island is not an island under worldwide law, it would also undercut some of Taiwan’s claims.
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Roughly $5 trillion in shipping trade passes through the area annually.
