Beijing to set up ‘International Maritime Judicial Centre’ Amid Rising Tension in South China Sea

China's Chief Justice Zhou Qiang announced on 13 march 2016 that the country will set up an 'international maritime judicial centre' to protect China's national sovereignty, according to state media agency Xinhua.
•    The Chief Justice made the announcement while presenting a report on the Supreme People's Court's (SPC) work at ongoing 12th National People's Congress. 
•    China's plan to create a maritime judicial centre comes after the Philippines lodged a case with an arbitration court in Hague to make a ruling on the conflicting maritime claims of both nations in the disputed South China Sea.
•    Beijing has firmly refused to participate in arbitration case, accusing the Philippines of breaking arbitration practice.
•    China is claiming a large part of the South China Sea, with a host of other neighbouring countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, staking competing claims in disputed sea region.        
•    In recent months, China has been accused of assertive actions after it built artificial islands in South China Sea. 
•    Tensions in recent weeks have escalated even more after China allegedly deployed missiles and fighter on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands.