Friday, May 13, 2016

Beijing Tries to Whip Up Support for Its South China Sea Claims

China is currently taking its claims in the South China Sea to extensive diplomatic and public ends in advance of an upcoming international court ruling that may not be favorable to China. The islands and reefs in this region have been a source of anxiety for many years now, with many countries staking different claims on what islands they believe to have control over. China has built seven artificial islands in the area in recent years, and there is speculation that there is an eighth island possibly being built. The court ruling could limit the jurisdiction of China's forces in the South China Sea, by classifying the lands are not actually islands, and thus China cannot have exclusive economic control of those places. This kind of ruling would greatly benefit the Philippines, one of the main rivals in the dispute of this area. China is warning that the United States should not be involved, especially with the US recently sailing ships within 12 miles of some of China's claims.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/world/asia/south-china-sea-philippines-hague-ruling.html?ref=world&_r=0
-Sarah Beck

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