China calls on the Philippines and other concerned parties which have territorial disputes with it in the South China Sea to move on with the formula of joining hands in development while shelving the disputes, the top Chinese envoy to the Philippines said on Tuesday.

Ambassador Liu Jianchao told a media forum in Manila that China, Vietnam and the Philippines had a good start with the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking, a tripartite project to conduct pragmatic cooperation in the South China Sea.

The project, launched in 2005, completed its initial phrase of seismic data collection but was suspended last year after the participating Philippine company backed out amid domestic criticism that the project was "unconstitutional for violating the National Economy and Patrimony provisions of the 1987 Constitution".

Liu said the three parties should work together to remove the obstacles to resume the cooperation as soon as possible. Liu hopes to see more positive responses from the Philippines.

"It seems to be difficult at the moment but we need to be patient," Liu said, "We are finding ways to move forward because this is in the interests of all parties concerned."

Liu said that the common development could be a process in which the parties will engage in cooperation, build up mutual trust and seek better mutual understanding, so as to maintain peace and stability in this area and pave the way for future negotiations for a peaceful and perpetual settlement of the dispute.

Liu said China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and adjacent waters in the South China Sea. While remaining firm in its territorial claims, the Chinese government seeks to solve the disputes through peaceful negotiations on a bilateral basis with parties concerned. Liu urged the other parties concerned to refrain from taking any unilateral actions in the South China Sea.

(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2009)