Briefs

Foreign Ministry reasserts South China Sea rights

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated that China has indisputable sovereignty rights in the South China Sea, and that the controversy should only be tackled through bilateral negotiations. 'We believe that the most effective way to settle the dispute is negotiations among countries that are directly related to the issue,' he said, adding the Philippines had made a clear promise in the Declaration on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea. 'We hope relevant parties can do more things that are conducive to peace and stability in the region,' he said. Teddy Ng