MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and China and the Philippines have come back to the "right track" of resolving the South China Sea dispute a year after the arbitration award, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The United Nations-backed international tribunal earlier issued a landmark ruling invalidating China's nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that its stance on the arbitration remains consistent and clear-cut. "While firmly upholding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China has also been committed to peacefully resolving the relevant disputes through negotiation and consultation with countries directly concerned and working with the ASEAN countries to jointly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea," Geng said. Last May, the Philippines and China conducted the initial meeting of its bilateral consultation mechanism for the South China Sea dispute.

Source: Philippine Star July 13, 2017 03:48 UTC