Beijing closes disputed sea for military drillsBEIJING: Beijing will close off access to part of the South China Sea for military drills, officials said Monday, after an international tribunal ruled against its sweeping claims in the waters. Beijing held military drills in the South China Sea just days before the international arbitration court ruling, state media reported. Manila — which lodged the suit against Beijing — welcomed the decision, as China dismissed it as a “piece of waste paper”. China has rapidly built reefs in the waters into artificial islands capable of military use. China pressured countries in the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations not to issue a joint statement on the ruling, diplomats said.

Source: Manila Times July 18, 2016 14:46 UTC