China’s vice foreign minister has stressed the importance of resolving the South China Sea dispute by negotiations. Liu Zhenmin said China will not accept or get involved in any illegally imposed arbitration.

The Philippines has submitted the South China Sea dispute to the compulsory dispute settlement mechanism under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the result is expected to be announced in the coming days.

“In the past two decades, we have concluded bilateral agreements and reached a consensus with the Philippines to try resolve disputes by negotiations,” said Liu.

“For instance, we signed the Declaration on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea. Hence, the Philippines abandoned its commitment when it raised this issue for arbitration. International experience shows that disputes can only be resolved via negotiations, and only results reached by consultations can earn the respect of various countries.”