Beijing: Manila's attempt 'will lead to nothing'

The Philippines' attempt to negate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea through arbitral proceeding "will lead to nothing", Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.

Hua made the comments after she was asked to response to media reports that the South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal has wrapped up its hearing on issues related to merits.

"China has expounded on many occasions its position that the Arbitral Tribunal has no jurisdiction over the arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines and that China will neither accept nor participate in the arbitration. This position is clear and consistent," She said.

Hua noted that the Philippines' unilateral initiation and obstinate pushing forward of the South China Sea arbitration is "a political provocation under the cloak of law".

"It is in essence not an effort to settle disputes but an attempt to negate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea," she said.

With regard to the issues of territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, China will not accept any solution imposed on it or any unilateral resort to a third-party dispute settlement, the spokeswoman said.

"China has a right to do so as a sovereign state and a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," she said.