An angry China today rejected as "null and void" the verdict of a UN-backed international tribunal which struck down its claims over the South China Sea saying Beijing has no "historic rights" in the disputed area. China "neither accepts nor recognises" the ruling of a tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the request of the Philippines, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.


"The award is null and void and has no binding force," it said in a statement minutes after the five judge tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration delivered its judgement striking down Beijing's claims of historic rights over the area, strongly disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea (SCS) shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards. China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards, the statement quoted by state-run Xinhua new agency said.


"China has territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea," said a separate statement titled 'Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China on China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests in the South China Sea'.