(Wong Maye-E/Associated Press)SINGAPORE — China said Saturday that it will ignore the decision of an international arbitration panel in the Philippines’ lawsuit against Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea. The Philippines has filed a case in the United Nations under the U.N. Convention on Law of the Sea, questioning China’s territorial claim in the South China Sea. “If you have an unstable region like what we have in the Middle East, I don’t think economics and prosperity will really (be) enhanced.”Although India is not a party to the South China Sea disputes, China is its traditional adversary. An arbitration panel is expected to rule on the case soon. The door to dialogue is always open.”Earlier Saturday, India’s defense minister told the conference, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, that it is in China’s economic interest to reduce tensions in the South China Sea.

Source: Washington Post June 04, 2016 06:39 UTC