Shutting the door to a negotiated solution, the Philippine government went its own way on Sunday pleading for international arbitration over its territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

The legal ploy, though carefully designed, is doomed to failure. But by portraying itself as a victim "bullied" by China, Manila's ulterior motive is to gain international sympathy for its groundless claims, says a Xinhua commentary.

The Philippines has encroached on these Chinese territories for years. China's indisputable sovereignty over them can be proven by abundant historical and legal evidence, while its maritime rights to the waters enclosed within the nine-dash line in the South China Sea are upheld by history.