Direct bilateral dialogue 'best way to solve disputes'

Foreign minister warns of South China Sea issue

Beijing - Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Sunday warned some countries not to "internationalize" the territorial dispute over the South China Sea that Beijing faces with its neighbors, following comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the issue at a regional security meeting.

"What will be the consequences if this issue is turned into an international or multilateral one? It will only make matters worse and the resolution more difficult," Yang was quoted as saying in a press release posted on the ministry's website on Sunday.