China to hold drills in S/China Sea ahead of court ruling

China will hold military drills around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the maritime safety administration said on Sunday, ahead of a decision by an international court in a dispute between China and the Philippines. Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the dispute […]

China will hold military drills around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the maritime safety administration said on Sunday, ahead of a decision by an international court in a dispute between China and the Philippines.
Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea in the Dutch city of The Hague.
In a brief online statement, China’s maritime safety administration said the drills would take place from July 5-11, and gave coordinates for the drills that cover an area from the east of China’s Hainan island down to and including the Paracels.