UN’s Ban tells China civil society, free media are crucial

USA officials say the United States response should China stick to its vow to ignore the ruling could include stepped up freedom-of-navigation patrols close to Chinese claimed islands in what is one of the world’s business trade routes.

The pair also discussed tensions involving the South China Sea ahead of a ruling expected next week by an global arbitration panel on the validity of China’s claims to virtually all of the sea.

China has reiterated that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case and the relevant subject-matter, and that it should not have heard the case or rendered the “award”.

Yi added that the South China Sea arbitration is tainted “with illogical and flawed application of procedures, laws and evidences”, reports Xinhua.

Maritime tensions in the western Pacific are edging higher a week ahead of an worldwide ruling on a dispute between China and the Philippines over sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.

China has also called on the Philippines to work with China to use the power of negotiation to solve disputes on the South China Sea.

Analysts also urged China to refrain from attempting to divide Asean for short-term gain, saying that could pose serious challenges to China’s national interests in the long run.

In the past two years, China has constructed artificial islands and placed military facilities on disputed features elsewhere in the South China Sea. Beijing must prepare for ëmilitary confrontationí in the South China Sea, state-run media said on July 5, as China began naval drills in the area ahead of an worldwide tribunal ruling over the maritime dispute.

The Navy Times reported that on Wednesday the US Navy had “seven ships in the region including Reagan, two cruisers and four destroyers”, and that some of those destroyers had “quietly stalked” China’s militarized claims, sailing as little as 14 miles off the coast.

China claims around 90 percent of the Sea – one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes believed to be sitting atop huge oil and gas deposits – but Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also consider some of the region’s waters, islands and reefs to be their territory.

The U.S. State Department confirmed that Kerry had spoken to Wang, without providing details.

Batongbacal said Asean’s differences over how to deal with China would decide if the bloc could come up with a joint statement on the tribunal’s rulings, not the member states’ positions on the maritime disputes.

China has reacted negatively to USA patrols in the South China Sea and is due to begin military drills in the waters tomorrow (6 July).

USA officials have expressed the concern that China would declare the maritime region an air defense identification zone following the worldwide court’s ruling, just like it did in the East China Sea in 2013.