China stands firm in territory row

China has again rejected an attempt by the Philippines to challenge its territorial claims over the South China Sea through international arbitration, a week before a deadline for Beijing to respond to the case.

China prefers to settle its disputes in discussions with the countries directly involved. However, after China took control of Scarborough Shoal following a tense naval stand-off with the Philippines near its coastline, Manila filed a case with a tribunal operating under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, which provides a regulatory framework for the use of the world’s seas and oceans.