UN chief Ban Ki-moon makes a rare intervention in South China Sea row

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made a rare intervention yesterday in the deepening South China Sea sovereignty dispute, urging an "amicable" settlement but offering assistance if need be.

Ban's comments came hours after the Philippines launched an unprecedented move to force China to a UN arbitration panel over the legality of its nine-dash line - the basis for Beijing's claim to virtually the entire South China Sea.

Ban said he had been following the dispute carefully. "It is important for those countries in the region to resolve all these issues through dialogue in a peaceful and amicable way," he said.

The UN was ready "to provide technical and professional assistance, but primarily all these issues should be resolved by the parties concerned".

Diplomats noted that his remarks appeared carefully calibrated to avoid taking sides while dignifying the arbitration process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

UNCLOS carries a unique provision allowing a state to launch a dispute settlement panel without the consent of its rival - something the Philippines is doing against China, which has long demanded one-on-one talks with rival claimants to the South China Sea and opposed steps to "internationalise" the issue.

Tensions flared last year over the disputed Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in Chinese, and Chinese ships are now stationed in the area over the Philippines' objections.