China to set up int'l maritime judicial centre

Beijing

CHINA will establish an international maritime judicial centre, a report from the country's top court said on Sunday, as it seeks to shore up territorial claims to the South and East China Sea at the centre of a growing regional dispute.

The decision comes as an international tribunal prepares to decide a case related to the country's claims in the South China Sea, where it has built a series of artificial islands capable of hosting military facilities.