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.
Chinese dredging vessels in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015.
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.
China to launch maritime drills in South China sea late monday
18 July 2016
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China is expected to start maritime drills in the South China Sea late on Monday, the country`s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) said.
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