China has called for fresh dialogue with the Philippines to resolve their South China Sea disputes following the landmark ruling by an international court on Tuesday.
A senior Chinese official said on Wednesday that the new leadership in the Philippines had offered new hope for repairing ties between the two countries following the tribunal ruling that was largely unfavorable to China.
China released a 49-page white paper on Wednesday, titled “China Adheres to Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea”, in response to the ruling.
“We don’t understand the rationale of [former Philippine president] Benigno Aquino III initiating the ruling,” said Liu Zhenmin, China’s vice-foreign minister, said at a press conference to present the white paper. “But the leadership transition has offered a good chance for China and the Philippines to improve relations.
FULL TEXT OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON SOUTH CHINA SEA
