China said Monday that it is closing off a part of the South China Sea for military exercises this week, days after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's claim to ownership of virtually the entire strategic waterway.
Hainan's maritime administration said an area southeast of the island province would be closed from Monday to Thursday, but gave no details about the nature of the exercises. The navy and Defense Ministry had no immediate comment.
The announcement came in the middle of a three-day visit to China by the U.S. Navy's top admiral to discuss the South China Sea dispute and ways to increase interactions between the two militaries.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson is meeting with China's navy commander, Adm. Wu Shengli, during his trip to Beijing and the port city of Qingdao that began on Sunday. He is also scheduled to visit the navy's submarine academy, tour china's first aircraft carrier and discuss ongoing Rim of the Pacific military drills.
