China on Wednesday urged the United States to respect its sovereignty, rights and interests in the South China Sea, stop stirring up trouble in the region and using the South China Sea issue to sow discord among countries in the region. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments on the so-called ruling of an arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea in 2016. Blinken expressed support for the so-called ruling in a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Manila on Tuesday.

Wang stressed that China's position on the issue has been consistent and clear. The so-called ruling seriously violated international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and is illegal and invalid, he said. China does not accept or recognize the so-called ruling, nor does it accept any claim or move based on it, he added. 

Any behavior in the name of implementing the illegal ruling will not succeed, and China will respond to it in accordance with law, he said. 

The U.S., as a country outside the region, disregarded the history and facts on the South China Sea issue, violated and distorted international law, and violated its commitment of holding a neutral position on the sovereignty issue in the South China Sea, he said, criticizing the U.S. for sowing discord among countries in the region and destabilizing regional peace and stability. 

China and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in a comprehensive and effective way, and actively advancing consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, he said. 

Relevant parties unanimously agree that maritime disputes should be properly handled through dialogue and consultations among countries directly involved, and that peace and stability in the South China Sea should be jointly maintained by China and the ASEAN countries, he said. 

(Cover: A bird's-eye view of China's Xisha Islands, South China Sea. /Xinhua)