China has refused to respond to a United Nations (UN) tribunal case concerning a territorial dispute with the Philippines because it does not honor international arbitration.

The UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration said it had given China until December 15 to answer the complaint lodged against it in March. China's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei announced today that it will neither accept nor participate in the said tribunal case, wrote Bloomberg Businessweek.

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In March, the Philippines had asked the UN court to uphold its right to exploit the portion of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, China has refused to recognize the UN's arbitration in the matter, insisting discussions should only be held between the two nations involved.

Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has been more aggressive in claiming ownership over the mineral-rich waters surrounding it including most of the South China Sea, basing on the 1947 "nine dash-line." This area covers hundreds of miles south of the Hainan Island up to Borneo's coast.

On May 31, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that China could destabilize Southeast Asia with its actions, and added that the US will not overlook those who risk challenging "international order." Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong of the People's Liberation Army responded by saying Hagel's statement was unfounded.

The US had signed a treaty to defend Japan and the Philippines in any kind of conflict. The latter two are currently involved in separate territorial disputes with China.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is also preparing to take legal action against China over another South China Sea row. China had towed an oil rig in contested waters, igniting the rage of Vietnam, resulting in a series of anti-Chinese rallies last month that had left three people dead.

Last month, two Chinese fighter jets flew within a "dangerous" distance from two Japanese surveillance aircrafts over several disputed islands. Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe said this move was "dangerous."

In an international conference last week, Abe vowed Japan would do its best to assist Southeast Asian countries in protecting their waters and airspace.