The United States on Thursday asked China to respect the decision of an international tribunal on the South China Sea territorial dispute between Beijing and Manila.

The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is set to deliver a final ruling on the case on July 12.

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Senior U.S. defense official Abraham Denmark, in his testimony at a Congress hearing, said that we urge both parties to comply with the ruling and urge all claimants to avoid provocative actions or statements.

China is carrying out military drills around Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea. The military exercises started days after the PCA declared that it would issue a final ruling soon on the case.

The Philippines is questioning Beijing' claims in the South China Sea in its case at the international tribunal. Meanwhile, China has said that does not recognize the jurisdiction of the tribunal and maintains that it has ''indisputable sovereignty' over the region.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei on Thursday reiterated that the ruling would not affect China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The state-owned Global Times newspaper, in a recent editorial, even suggested that China must be ready for war over South China Sea dispute.

"China hopes disputes can be resolved by talks, it must be prepared for any military confrontation. Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force," the editorial said.  

TagsSouth China Sea, china, Hague, Arbitration, Philippines, United States