Philippines disputes China claim to sovereignty over Spratly archipelago,where Beijing is building military bases on artificial islandsRival claims to strategic reefs and atolls in the disputed waters of the South China Sea are to move before an international tribunal in The Hague.
The hearing on Tuesday – prompted by the Philippines’ claim – comes as China steps up its divisive programme of building airstrips and defences in the Spratly Islands. As well as the Philippines, Taiwan, or Malaysia,Vietnam and Brunei all dispute sovereignty over the mid-ocean outcrops.
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Source: theguardian.com