BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua)-- China on Sunday urged Japan not to intervene in the South China Sea issue as Japan is not directly concerned in any disputes there.
Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida said he would talk about the issue if he has a chance to meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the series of foreign ministers' meeting involving ASEAN and other Asian countries.
Stressing that the South China Sea arbitration is "illegal and invalid" from very beginning to end, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said China's rejection of the award is indeed in accordance with the international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"Japan is not a party to the South China Sea issue, and considering its shameful history, it has no rights whatsoever to accuse China on the matter," he said.