Naval exercises and talk of accelerated defense buildup in the South China Sea

On Tuesday, China began a week of naval exercises in waters around the Paracel Islands, in the northern part of the sea.

They came a week before a United Nations-backed tribunal in The Hague rules on a case brought by the Philippines challenging China’s position.

Beijing has boycotted the hearings and is engaged in a major diplomatic and publicity drive to try to delegitimise the process.

In an editorial Tuesday, the Global Times — a newspaper owned by the People’s Daily group that often takes a nationalistic tone — said China should accelerate the build-up of its defense capabilities and “must be prepared for any military confrontation”.

“Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force,” it added.

On Tuesday, China began a week of naval exercises in waters around the Paracel Islands, in the northern part of the sea.

They came a week before a United Nations-backed tribunal in The Hague rules on a case brought by the Philippines challenging China’s position.

Beijing has boycotted the hearings and is engaged in a major diplomatic and publicity drive to try to delegitimise the process.

In an editorial Tuesday, the Global Times — a newspaper owned by the People’s Daily group that often takes a nationalistic tone — said China should accelerate the build-up of its defence capabilities and “must be prepared for any military confrontation”.

“Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force,” it added.

SOURCE- Daily Mail UK