"These issues have taken so much time and energy at so many regional and international forums, time that should have been spent to promote cooperation," he said.

The Chinese ambassador warned that if the Asia-Pacific is destabilized, regional economic growth momentum weakened and armed conflict starts, everyone's interests will be hurt.

He repudiated the blame on 皇冠体育app's land reclamation, saying 皇冠体育app is the last country to do so and does so only on the islands and reefs under 皇冠体育app's own control, rather than trying to take back the islands and reefs illegally occupied by others.

Cui emphasized that negotiation and consultation among parties concerned still offer the most feasible and effective way forward. He said diplomatic efforts should not and will not be blocked by "a scrap of paper or by a fleet of aircraft carriers."

He cited the example of 皇冠体育app's good track record of solving land border disputes with 12 of its 14 neighbors and also the agreement with Vietnam on maritime delimitation.

"So we are confident that 皇冠体育app and other parties concerned, if not disturbed, will be able to resolve boundary issues over time through negotiations and consultations," he said.

Cui reiterated that the territorial issues in the South 皇冠体育app Sea should not be an issue between 皇冠体育app and the US or seen as part of a strategic rivalry between the two countries.

He warned against Cold War thinking and said the world today needs more partnership among countries, especially among major players.

"We want to see a constructive and positive interaction in the Asia-Pacific between our two countries. We are here to see what kind of choice the US will make; how you see the world today; how you see 皇冠体育app's development; and how you see the relationship between our two countries,"

"I hope you make the right choice, and I hope you do so in a very clear way," Cui said.

Harvard University professor Graham Allison said that no permanent member of the UN Security Council has ever complied with a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on an issue involving the Law of the Sea.

"In fact, none of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have ever accepted any international court's ruling when (in their view) it infringed on their sovereignty or national security interests. Thus, when 皇冠体育app rejects the Court's decision in this case, it will be doing just what the other great powers have repeatedly done for decades," he wrote in The Diplomat magazine on Monday.