Philippines, China commit to diplomacy in standoff

"We hope the Philippines can focus on China-Philippines friendship, peace and stability, and won't make new disturbances," Liu said.

Last year, the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of intruding into other parts of what it considers Philippine territory in the South China Sea. China has regularly dismissed the protests, saying Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over those areas on historical grounds.

The United States has insisted it takes no sides in the territorial dispute but says it should be solved peacefully. China has balked at what it considered U.S. interference in the region.

The disputes over the Spratlys have settled into an uneasy standoff since the last major clash involving China and Vietnam killed more than 70 Vietnamese sailors in 1988.

Associated Press writers Hrvoje Hranjski and Teresa Cerojano in Manila and Scott McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.