China insists Philippines violated agreements on disputed sea

MANILA, Philippines — Beijing on Wednesday insisted that Manila violated agreements on maritime conduct in the disputed South China Sea.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi claimed that the Philippines reneged on the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) between China and Southeast Asian nations.

"It is exactly one country, and let me not avoid mentioning the name: that is, the Philippines has violated the stipulation of Article 4 of DOC and has given up on the dialogue and negotiations with the direct concerned parties of China, which is regrettable and which is ill-advised," Wang said.

The Philippines had filed an arbitration case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. China, however, refused to participate in the proceedings.

Wang warned other claimant countries in the region from deploying naval power to enforce their claims.

"We don't hope to see anymore close-up military reconnaissance or the dispatch of missile destroyers or strategic bombers to the South China Sea. This is something we have a responsibility for under our non-militarization commitment," the Chinese Foreign Minister said.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry stressed the importance of diplomatic solution in resolving the maritime dispute in the region.

"We think everybody benefits by true demilitarization, non-militarization. We also urged people to clarify the territorial and maritime claims in accordance with international law and to commit to peacefully resolve and manage disputes," Kerry said.

A US think tank earlier reported that China may be building radars in some of its artificial islands at the Spratly Island Group in the South China Sea.

A few weeks ago, Fox News reported that Beijing has deployed surface-to-air missiles at Woody Island, a part of the Paracel Island chain in the disputed sea.