China touts peace over S. China Sea

Foreign ministry says the Philippines agreed to put aside disputes to maintain regional stability

Some countries should "discard their unrealistic stance" over the South China Sea issue, as China and the Philippines are making joint efforts to promote the positive development of the situation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Spokesman Lu Kang made the remarks at a regular news conference, while commenting on a report from Japanese media that quoted a Japanese government official as saying that during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's state visit, Tokyo and Manila have reached consensus on Wednesday over "respecting the arbitral ruling" of the South China Sea.