Xi tells Vietnam to solve South China Sea issue through bilateral consultations

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on Vietnam to solve the South China Sea issue through bilateral consultations and said that both nations can manage their differences and promote maritime cooperation through friendly negotiations.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc here.

The Chinese President asserted that both sides should use the current negotiation mechanisms such as border talks between governments to actively push forward the follow-up work of joint exploration of waters outside the Beibu Gulf, reports Xinhua.

Xi also called on the two countries to achieve substantial progress on the joint development of wider areas of the South China Sea at an early date and transform maritime challenges into opportunities for cooperation.

Despite the international tribunal ruling in July, against the Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea, Beijing says it would not be bound by it.

An arbitration tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) favoured Philippines, who had brought the case before it.