China rejects UN mediation to resolve South China Sea dispute

China today rejected UN arbitration to resolve the South China Sea (SCS) maritime dispute with its neighbours, asserting that it should be settled through direct bilateral negotiations. 

As the deadline to respond to UN mediation sought by the Philippines to arbitrate its maritime dispute with China over the South China Sea inched close, Beijing today issued a lengthy explanation rejecting international arbitration asserting that it should be settled through direct bilateral negotiations. 

A Position Paper issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry alleged that the Philippines is attempting to resolve the dispute through "compulsory arbitration" by the UN Convention on Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), without exercising the option to settle it through direct talks.

The Philippines had approached the UN body last year questioning China's claims to the Spratly islands, called Nansha islands by Beijing, and the waters around them.