South China Sea UN ruling: China calls decision one-sided, moves to test airports

BTN News
Monday, 18 July 2016

China has rejected an international court’s rejection of its territorial claims in the South China Sea, with its media warning of a possible military response to what they called "a US ploy to thwart China’s rise".


The response followed a United Nations tribunal ruling that denied Chinese ownership claims to the area.
Beijing claimed the Philippines, which brought the case, had “distorted facts, misinterpreted laws and concocted a pack of lies”.


The ruling against China was based on “weak evidence”, Xinhua, Beijing’s official news agency said.


The China Daily, Beijing’s English-language paper, claimed the “outrageously one-sided ruling” meant military confrontation in the region had become more likely.


Author and China specialist Bill Hayton, meanwhile, said the response from Beijing was to be expected.
“I think what is going on here is public opinion management,” he said. “They’ve suffered a reverse. They have to scream and shout and stamp their feet.”


However, defying the UN verdict, China almost immediately tested two new airports in the reclaimed islands in the disputed areas, flying a Cessna CE-680 belonging to the Flight Inspection Centre of the Civil Aviation Administration of China between airports on the Meiji and Zhubi reefs.

South China Sea UN ruling: China calls decision one-sided, moves to test airports

BTN News
Monday, 18 July 2016

China has rejected an international court’s rejection of its territorial claims in the South China Sea, with its media warning of a possible military response to what they called "a US ploy to thwart China’s rise".


The response followed a United Nations tribunal ruling that denied Chinese ownership claims to the area.
Beijing claimed the Philippines, which brought the case, had “distorted facts, misinterpreted laws and concocted a pack of lies”.


The ruling against China was based on “weak evidence”, Xinhua, Beijing’s official news agency said.


The China Daily, Beijing’s English-language paper, claimed the “outrageously one-sided ruling” meant military confrontation in the region had become more likely.


Author and China specialist Bill Hayton, meanwhile, said the response from Beijing was to be expected.
“I think what is going on here is public opinion management,” he said. “They’ve suffered a reverse. They have to scream and shout and stamp their feet.”


However, defying the UN verdict, China almost immediately tested two new airports in the reclaimed islands in the disputed areas, flying a Cessna CE-680 belonging to the Flight Inspection Centre of the Civil Aviation Administration of China between airports on the Meiji and Zhubi reefs.