China urges Philippines to abandon illusions on S China Sea case

BEIJING - China reiterated that it does not accept nor will it participate in the Philippines's South China Sea arbitration, urging the country to give up illusions and return to negotiations.

"China's territorial sovereignty should be decided by all the Chinese people, and no other people or organization has the right to handle it," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei at a routine press briefing.

His comments came in response to a question regarding the recent release of a court hearing record by an international tribunal in the Hague lodged by the Philippines.

Hong said China's position on the South China Sea case stands on a solid international legal base and will remain unchanged.

At the hearing, the Philippines ignored facts, international law and justice, and attempted to deny China's sovereignty over the South China Sea islands as well as the legal force of the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, said the spokesperson.

"This shows the essence of China-Philippines disputes over the South China Sea are territorial disputes," he said.

The Arbitral Tribunal established at the request of the Philippines has no jurisdiction over the case, Hong said. The arbitration aims to deny China's South China Sea sovereignty and its maritime interests instead of solving disputes.

China will not accept the results of third-party settlements of territorial disputes, he said urging the Philippines to change the course and return to the track of negotiations.

The Philippines filed an arbitration case at an international tribunal in The Hague in early 2013.

China has refused to be involved in the proceedings, maintaining that the rows should be settled by the countries directly involved through consultation and negotiation.