China made a declaration on exceptions in 2006 in accordance with the UNCLOS, which excluded disputes concerning maritime delimitation, historical bays or titles, as well as military and law enforcement activities from the dispute settlement procedures provided for in the convention.

The arbitral tribunal would "set a dangerous precedent and open a Pandora's box at sea" if it arbitrarily issues an award, he said.

Jiang also criticised the United States for "militarizing the South China Sea in the name of opposing militarization."

"US actions have deepened China's concerns over its own interests, and strengthened its determination to protect its own interests," he said.

He went on to attack some Western media for their "selective coverage" on the South China Sea issue by omitting, sometimes even distorting the truth and China's position, in an attempt to "mislead the international community."

"I hope our friends from African news outlets will be fair, pay more attention to the South China Sea issue, report more on China's voices on the issue and present the real South China Sea to people of Africa and of the world," Jiang said.