One of the people being considered a possible candidate to become the next UN Secretary-General says the idea of 3rd-party arbitration over issues in the South China Sea is not likely to help.
Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Igor Luksic, speaking with China Radio International in Beijing as part of his current trip to China, is suggesting any forthcoming ruling by the UN Court of Arbitration isn't likely to do anything to bring the dispute over the Nansha Islands to an end.
"I think it is vital that countries remain active in the dialogue; there is no other way because if you unilaterally call for the court to make the decision, and the other side doesn't accept it, or the other way around, it simply will not help, and it will not lead to the permanent solution, so I believe that we need to make sure that we invest ever more efforts into bilateral and multilateral talks. There can never be enough of talks. "
The UN courts are expected to issue a ruling in the next few weeks on an arbitration submitted by the Philippines in 2013.
Chinese officials have refused to participate in the arbitration process, and say they will not abide by any rulings which may out.
Igor Luksic, also Montenegro's Foreign Minister, has been singled-out as a possible front-runner to replace Ban Ki-moon after he steps down as the head of the United Nations at the end of this year.
To find out more, CRI'S Li Jianhua caught up with Igor Luksic to have a deep discussion over the vision of a UN.
