China warned its rivals Wednesday against turning the South China Sea into a "cradle of war" and threatened to establish an air defense zone there, after its claims to the strategically vital waters were declared invalid. The surprisingly strong and sweeping ruling by a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague provided powerful diplomatic ammunition to the Philippines, which filed the challenge, and other claimants in their decades-long disputes with China over the resource-rich waters. China reacted furiously to Tuesday's decision, insisting on its historical rights over the sea while launching a volley of thinly veiled warnings to the United States and other critical nations.

Fabunan, S. S., & Solmerin, F. (2016, July 14). China warns vs cradle of war. The Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.