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July 29th, 2016 
Awake Goy 
China and Russia are to conduct joint naval drills in the South China Sea in September amid escalating tensions over the disputed waters.
The announcement was made on Thursday by the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman and follows a ruling by an international tribunal earlier this month that rejected China’s claims in the region.
He said the joint exercises are routine, do not target any third party and will be carried out in the “relevant sea and air of the South China Sea.”
Press TV reports:
The South China Sea is the subject of a territorial dispute between China and several regional countries.
Recently, a Hague-based court of arbitration ruled that China’s claim of sovereignty over disputed areas in the sea or its resources had no legal basis. The case had been filed by the Philippines, whose economic and sovereign rights, according to the court, have been violated by Beijing.
China has dismissed the ruling, saying it does not recognize the tribunal’s arbitration in the dispute.
China and Russia have increased their military training cooperation in recent years. The two countries have been holding naval drills in the Pacific waters since 2012.
The United States, too, has moved to step up its military cooperation with allies in the region.
The presence of the US in the region has upset regional powers China and Russia, which say such extra-regional presence serves to inflame tensions among countries.
In the disputes revolving around the South China Sea, the US has sided with China’s rival claimants.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, which is also claimed in part by Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. The contested waters are rich in oil and gas.
Source Article from http://yournewswire.com/china-russia-to-hold-joint-military-drill-in-south-china-sea/
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