China has asked Singapore to ‘respect’ Beijing’s position on the ruling given by an international tribunal on the South China Sea dispute.
China also urged Singapore to respect the consensus that it has reached with ASEAN countries.
"China hopes that Singapore...can maintain an objective and fair position as the coordinator of China and Asean dialogue relations, so as to advance Sino-Singapore relations and healthy and stable China-Asean ties," Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday.
Chinese spokesperson made these remarks in response to the statement of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's recent remarks that he did not think China has changed its policy on its claims in the South China Sea after the ruling on July 12 by an international tribunal.
However, PM Lee said he did not think that any of the claimants , which include China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, would want to "push it to the brink."
"They have interests, they have claims, they would want to maintain them, but nobody wants to go to war," Lee had said.
A recent international tribunal has ruled that China's claims to a number of reefs and features in the Spratly island chain in the South China Sea has no legal basis.
However, China has refused to abide by the tribunal’s decision saying it has no jurisdiction to intervene in this dispute.
