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 China has for years insisted that disputes with rival claimants to
the South China Sea be handled bilaterally.
But this month, its claims came under international legal scrutiny
for the first time when the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The
Hague began hearing a suit the Philippines filed in 2013.
China has refused to take part in the case.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel told a conference in
Washington this week that as both Beijing and Manila are signatories
to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, legally they have to
abide by the tribunal's decision.
China issued a position paper in December arguing the dispute was
not covered by the treaty because it was ultimately a matter of
sovereignty, not exploitation rights, and the Foreign Ministry said
it stood by that.
 "Attempting to push forward the arbitration unilaterally initiated
by the Philippines, the U.S. side just acts like an 'arbiter outside
the tribunal', designating the direction for the arbitral tribunal
established at the request of the Philippines," it said.
"This is inconsistent with the position the U.S. side claims to
uphold on issues concerning the South China Sea disputes," the
ministry added, calling on Washington to live up to its promises and
not take sides.
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China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich
in energy deposits, where about $5 trillion in ship-borne goods pass
every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan
also have conflicting claims.
China has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea with
rapid reclamation around reefs in the Spratly archipelago in
particular sparking concern, both in the region and in the United
States.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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