China rejects and condemns decision

Beijing

AS expected, China strongly condemned the ruling regarding jurisdiction in the South China Sea in favour of the Philippines issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on Tuesday.

In a much-awaited statement, the court based in The Hague said China has no legal basis to claim "historic rights" to islands in the South China Sea.

In a 497-page ruling, the court also found that Chinese law enforcement patrols had risked colliding with Philippine fishing vessels in parts of the sea and caused irreparable damage to coral reefs with construction work.

In an immediate response via Xinhua News Agency, Beijing retorted by stating the ruling was "null and…