The ministry made a reference to an article titled "Chinese Official: PH ignored China's proposals on sea row," published in The Manila Times newspaper on Monday, saying that it had received concept papers from China on the issue in 2023 and had "undertaken serious study and consideration" of the proposals.
"While a few proposals were deemed somewhat workable, many of the remaining Chinese proposals were determined, after careful study, scrutiny and deliberation within the Philippine Government, to be contrary to our national interests," the ministry said in a statement.
After reviewing the proposals, Manila presented its counterproposals to Beijing in 2023 and the issue was discussed during the 8th Bilateral Consultation Meeting on the south china sea in Shanghai in January, the ministry added.
In July 2016, following a lawsuit filed by the Philippines, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China has no grounds for territorial claims in the South China Sea. The court ruled that the islands are not disputed territory and do not constitute an exclusive economic zone, but Beijing refused to recognize or accept the ruling.