Beijing, Aug. 6 -- China has expressed strong reservations regarding the recent joint naval exercise conducted by India and the Philippines in the South China Sea, emphasising that territorial and maritime disputes should be resolved solely by the countries directly involved.

In a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, the ministry further expressed that there should not be any "third-party" involvement in the region.

"Disputes over territory and maritime rights and interests should be settled through negotiation and consultation by countries directly concerned, and no third party is in any position to interfere in that," Jian said in a statement on X on Wednesday.

The statement was a veiled reference t...