China Criticizes Philippines Over South China Sea Case

China has criticized the Philippines for bringing a dispute over the South China Sea to an international tribunal.



Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told Wednesday's daily press briefing that the arbitration in The Hague -- which began Tuesday -- is "political provocation dressed in legal garb".



"Its essence is not to resolve the dispute, but rather an attempt to negate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea," he told reporters, adding that it would "not have any effect".



"China will not accept any solution imposed on China [and] does not accept the unilateral recourse to dispute a third-party solution."



China claims almost all the resource-rich South ChinaSea, and has overlapping claims with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.



Its reclamation work, which includes the building of airfields on some of the disputed islands, has stirred global controversy and provoked tensions in the region.



In 2013, Manila lodged a case with the United Nations challenging the legality of Beijing's assertion that its ownership of the sea is "indisputable" and "historical", which an international tribunal in The Hague finally agreed last month to hear.



On Saturday, Phillippines President Aquino underlined his happiness at a ruling that the case could go ahead, saying that he hoped that the tribunal's decision would pave the way for a solution to the conflict.



"The Philippines has always adhered to the rule of law, and our decision to resort to arbitration reflects our belief that it is a transparent, friendly, durable, and peaceful dispute settlement mechanism that can bring stability to the region," Aquino said.



"The Philippines remains committed to pursuing arbitration to its final conclusion, and will abide by its decisions."



The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has yet to finalize a code of conduct for parties in maritime disputes. - Ankara