Beijing: China on Thursday warned of "decisive response" if any provocative action is taken in the South China Sea to enforce an international tribunal's verdict against Beijing's expansive claims in the strategic region.
"I want to stress that if any one wants to take any provocative action against China's security interest based on the award China will take a decisive response," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters.
Responding to questions on the impact of the verdict given by a tribunal appointed by The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), he said it was "unlawful" as it was established at the unlawful request of the previous Philippine government.
The award issued by it will not have any effect on China's existing policy, he said.
China has reacted furiously to the tribunal's verdict on Tuesday which said that Beijing has no grounds for its claims in the strategic region, through which USD 3 trillion passes in trade annually.
It has said that it will not abide by the decision and on Thursday warned that any insistence to enforce the verdict could turn the resource-rich area into a "region of war".
China's expansive claims in the South China Sea rivals those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
