Chinese scholars argued that China holds a more solid claim to South China Sea based on historical facts than the Philippines, reports said. While the Philippines took to arbitration to resolve the dispute, China remains firm that it will not accept any arbitration over the matter.

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In 2002, nations including both China and the Philippines pledged in Declaration on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea to solve the dispute through dialogues, president of National Institute For South China Sea Studies Wu Shicun said.

Based on this agreement, China accused the Philippines of violating the pledge.

Tensions between the two countries escalated in 2012, prompting the Philippines to assume to arbitration. Its intention was to discredit China's 9-dash line demarcating its claim over the disputed sea.

It also submitted a memorandum to the tribunal last March.

World scholars are discussing the dispute. But, China, citing its 2006 declaration, rejects arbitration.

Rather, it insists on resolving territorial disputes through direct talks. According to Chinese experts, this is in compliance with the Article 298 of the U.N. Convention on the Law of Sea.

In addition, Wu cited historical events to support China's claim over the territory.

He said that the Huangyan Island, west of the Philippines, was discovered in 1279, during the Ming Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty, his ancestors used the island to carry out its astronomical surveys.

He also added that maps published in 2006 and 2011 did not include the island on the Philippine's territory.

While the arbitration intends to discredit the 9-dash line, Wu argued that it has existed for 50 years even before the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was established.

Thus, he said that "you have no reason to ask the Nine-dash Line to conform to a later convention." He added that the law today cannot disregard the history.

However, judge of the tribunal Helmut Tuerk said that if China refuses to participate in the arbitration, it will seek its own material to arrive at a weighted decision.

TagsConvention on the Law of Sea, Wu Shicun, Helmut Tuerk, Chinese scholar