BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Countries around the world have voiced their support for a peaceful negotiation on the South China Sea issue between the parties directly concerned, opposing its internationalization.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said recently that any disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through dialogue and attempts to internationalize the issue must be stopped.
"We believe that all countries involved in the disputes should follow the principles of non-use of force, and continue seeking mutually acceptable political and diplomatic solutions," Lavrov said in a joint interview with Chinese, Japanese and Mongolian media in Moscow.
He urged external players to stop interfering in the negotiations among the parties directly involved.
"I am convinced that they (attempts to internationalize the issue) are completely counterproductive," said Lavrov. "Only negotiations, which China and the ASEAN are pursuing, can bring the desired result, namely, mutually acceptable agreements."
The core of the Beijing-Manila South China Sea dispute is a territorial one, caused by the illegal occupation of some of China's islands and reefs since the 1970s by the Philippines, and an issue of maritime delimitation.
The Philippines' unilateral arbitration of the dispute violates the basic principles of international law and undermines the integrity and authority of the UN Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS).
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