CHINA is fighting tooth and nail against an impending ruling over a fiercely disputed strategic zone.
The
Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration will on Tuesday deliver its
verdict on the South China Sea and the scramble for the world’s busiest
shipping lanes.But Beijing has said it will reject the tribunal’s decision on the case brought by the Philippines, contesting China’s rapid development of artificial islands and bases on the reef.
The Philippines is just one of several southeast Asian states that lay claim to part of this key transit route, in a war of wills that has sparked fears of a military conflict that could disrupt global trade.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are all involved in the territorial disputes, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo has instructed the military to increase maritime patrols over the waters off Natuna Islands in response to increasing tensions with China, which it claims has up to 20,000 militia fishermen in the region.
The United States yesterday urged respect for the tribunal’s decision and recommended “all claimants to avoid provocative actions or statements.”
http://www.news.com.au/world/asia/south-china-sea-tensions-at-boiling-point-with-region-poised-for-military-conflict/news-story/d23151924e5adcecef79ed228fdd6289