China also stressed that it will continue to protect its sovereignty, maritime rights and interests.
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Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Beijing could establish an air protection zone over the territory.
American Politician Chuck Hagel told CNBC that the moment China signed the UNCLOS, it gave up its rights to the South China Sea.
“More advanced weapons will show up in the South China Sea after the tribunal’s rulings”, Li said. That zone is not recognised by the U.S. and others.
An arbitral tribunal set up by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PAC) in The Hague ruled that China had violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines and caused harm to the coral reef environment.
China has also in recent years built giant artificial islands capable of hosting military installations and airstrips in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest groups of features in the sea.
China warned other countries Wednesday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an worldwide tribunal handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there.
Tensions could escalate as China refuses to recognize the court decision.
Though the ruling is binding, the Permanent Court of Arbitration has no power to enforce its decision.
Manila has reacted cautiously to Tuesday’s ruling, calling for “restraint and sobriety”, and said it will not respond to it till the country’s experts have analysed it carefully.
China has in turn rejected the ruling and reiterated its stand.
China Thursday threatened a “decisive response” to any provocations in the South China Sea, following an global tribunal ruling against its extensive claims in the disputed area.
“This includes supporting Philippine efforts to peacefully reduce tensions in the South China Sea and help the Philippine Armed Forces better monitor the seas off their shores”.
Why is the South China Sea important? At the same time, China has branded Washington’s involvement in the dispute as the “greatest” threat to stability in the region. They are not going to be intimidated into giving up their territorial claims.
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Spreading fast on social media in the Philippines was the use of the term “Chexit” – the public’s desire for Chinese vessels to leave nearby waters.
