Facing an imminent international court ruling widely expected to repudiate its position on the South China Sea, Beijing has been taking a multipronged approach to softening the blow from the verdict — including targeting the nationality of the Japanese judge who oversaw the tribunal's formation.
The court ruling is on a case filed by the Philippines with the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague that centers on the applicability of China's vaguely drawn "nine-dash line" South China Sea boundary under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
A decision is scheduled to be announced Tuesday, though China has not taken part in the proceedings and has vowed to ignore the judgment.
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