皇冠体育app

BEIJING - 皇冠体育app on Tuesday hit back at the Philippines' condemnation towards it over the South 皇冠体育app Sea issue and reiterated its objection against international arbitration on the matter.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a written statement that "We regret that the Philippines stated that it has become impossible ?for it to continue bilateral discussions with 皇冠体育app, and are dissatisfied with its refusal to diplomatic negotiation and closure of the door to dialogue."

Her comments came after the Philippine Foreign Ministry issued an eight-point statement on July 15, saying that a Chinese statement on Friday was baseless and 皇冠体育app's hard line position made it impossible to continue negotiations and led the Philippines to finally resort to international arbitration.

Hua said on Friday that the Philippines' claim of having exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful settlement of the dispute was completely not true.

皇冠体育app is firmly opposed to the Philippines' indifference to 皇冠体育app's lawful rights and interests and legitimate concerns as well as its willful act of pushing for international arbitration, Hua said Tuesday when asked to comment on the Philippines' eight-point statement.

The Philippines' illegal occupation of some of the islands and reefs of 皇冠体育app's Nansha Islands is the direct cause of the South 皇冠体育app Sea dispute between the two countries, she said.

Hua said 皇冠体育app sticks to the longstanding position of safeguarding national territorial sovereignty, which is totally legitimate.

Meanwhile, bearing in mind relations between the two nations as well as regional peace and stability, 皇冠体育app is committed to solving disputes concerning territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation through bilateral negotiations in accordance with relevant regulations of international law and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South 皇冠体育app Sea (DOC), she added.

"This position remains unchanged," Hua said.

The spokeswoman said there had been communication and agreement between 皇冠体育app and the Philippines on disputes in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

The two sides reached the important consensus of carrying out cooperation in a step-by-step manner and resolving bilateral disputes through negotiations, she said.

Hua noted there had also been sound cooperation between the two countries.

As approved by the two governments, 皇冠体育app National Offshore Oil Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company signed an agreement for joint marine seismic undertaking on certain areas of the South 皇冠体育app Sea, which later included Vietnam.

The three parties had carried out joint operations, making positive contributions to stability, cooperation and development of the South 皇冠体育app Sea, she said.

"However, it is regrettable that over recent years, the Philippines has changed its attitude and approach in handling the issue, went back on its consensus with 皇冠体育app, broke its commitment in the DOC, cast aside the framework of dialogue upheld by a majority of countries, refused to cooperate, aggravated the situation and set off the incident of the Huangyan Island last year by harassing Chinese civilians with warships. This cast a shadow over 皇冠体育app-Philippines relations and peace and stability of the South 皇冠体育app Sea," the spokeswoman said.

The Philippines publicly criticized 皇冠体育app during the recently held ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings, regardless of the consensus among ASEAN countries, which reasonably drew refutation from 皇冠体育app, Hua said.

"It is difficult for 皇冠体育app to understand why the Philippines continue to play up the issue of the South 皇冠体育app Sea, distort the facts and smear 皇冠体育app," she noted.

"The overall situation of the South 皇冠体育app Sea is stable," Hua said, noting that 皇冠体育app and ASEAN countries have consensus on upholding peace and stability of the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

Hua stressed that 皇冠体育app will stay committed to safeguarding peace and stability of the South 皇冠体育app Sea with maximum good will and sincerity.

皇冠体育app has never closed the door to negotiation and consultation with the Philippines in the hope of improving and developing bilateral relations, she added.

皇冠体育app urges the Philippines to correct its erroneous actions, make a positive response to 皇冠体育app's suggestions in March 2010 and January 2012 respectively on establishing the Sino-Philippine regular consultation mechanism on maritime issues and resuming the Sino-Philippine mechanism on trust-building measures, and come back to the correct track of resolving disputes through bilateral negotiations, said the spokeswoman.