Door open to bilateral negotiations

Beijing urges Manila not to turn its back on agreements and end arbitration case

China told the Philippines on Wednesday, the door is always open to bilateral negotiation on their maritime disputes in the South China Sea.

In an official statement, the Foreign Ministry urged Manila to stop turning its back on its agreement to settle the disputes through negotiation and end the arbitral proceedings it had initiated against China.

It said that the two peoples had enjoyed a long friendship and the overall situation in the South China Sea had remained stable despite the disputes, and reminded Manila of its commitments to settle the disputes in a peaceful and friendly manner.

From the very start of the arbitral process, China has held to its right to refuse to accept or participate in the arbitration. The Foreign Ministry statement reiterated this saying China does not accept any means of dispute settlement imposed on it.

The Foreign Ministry statement urged Manila to "return to the right path" of settling their disputes through bilateral negotiation.

It was only after the Benigno Aquino administration initiated unilateral arbitration proceedings against China in 2013 that relations between the two countries deteriorated.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei, commenting on the statement on Wednesday, said "the Philippines unilaterally seeking arbitration is based on the dispute settlement procedures of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and it goes against international law, including UNCLOS."

On Tuesday, the All China Lawyers Association said in a statement that the Arbitral Tribunal "has wantonly expanded and exceeded its power", and China's refusal to be involved in the case is "a justifiable act".