Beijing hopes Manila will meet it 'halfway'

After new Philippine Cabinet members struck a conciliatory tone on the upcoming ruling in the arbitration case against China, Beijing said disputes with the Philippines could only be properly managed and resolved "through negotiation and consultation", not arbitration.

"The South China Sea arbitral case raised by the Aquino administration is illegal and invalid. ... It is hoped the Philippines will meet China halfway and properly tackle relevant disputes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a news conference on Friday.

The administration of president Benigno Aquino III unilaterally initiated arbitration proceedings against China in 2013, leading to Beijing's refusal to be part of the arbitration.