China has formally rejected the bid of the Philippines to settle a territorial row before an international tribunal, but this will not dissuade efforts to seek a legal settlement of the issue, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. "The Department received this [Tuesday] afternoon from Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing a Note Verbale stating that China rejects and returns the Philippines’ Notification and Statement of Claim," the agency said in a statement released last Tuesday. Further, China reiterated in its Note Verbale the nine-dash line -- a map which encompasses the whole of South China Sea -- and urged the Philippines to settle the issue through bilateral talks.

Dy, R. J. N. (2013, February 21). Manila to pursue arbitration in sea row. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.