Full coverage: South China Sea Is Indisputable Part of China

An expert on South China Sea relations says the core message of the statement issued by the Chinese foreign ministry is to persist in settling disputes between China and the Philippines through bilateral negotiations. Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, believes the statement will have a positive effect on the peace and stability of the region.

"While firmly safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, China persists in resolving disputes through bilateral negotiations and managing disputes through rules and mechanism. At the same time, China told the Philippines not to continue advancing related arbitration procedures, not to repeat its mistakes. That is, to return to bilateral negotiations. This is the wise choice and conforms to the interests of the two peoples. If the Philippines echoes China's proposal and returns to bilateral negotiations, it will play an active role in the peace and stability of the South China Sea region, as well as creating a favorable external environment for the China-Philippines relations," Wu said.