BEIJING (Sputnik) — According to the MSA statement, the drills will take place in an area of water designated by four coordinate points and will wrap up on Thursday morning. Civil vessels are prohibited from entering the area during the drills.
Earlier in July, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled, in a case brought by the Philippines, that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to South China Sea resources.
A number of disputed islands, including the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, are located in the South China Sea. Beijing’s territorial claims to the Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, which are believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves, run counter to those of the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
