Gambia's government has declared its support for China in the ongoing disputes over the South China Sea, and recommends that countries involved solve disputes through negotiations.

"Gambia supports the position of the government of China not to accept and participate in the arbitral proceedings initiated by the Republic of the Philippines in its Notification and Statement of Claim to the Secretariat of the Law of the Sea Convention," read a press release sent to the Daily Observer by the Gambia government on Friday.

The release said that "the arbitral tribunal under the Law of the Sea Convention has no jurisdiction in pronouncing a verdict on maritime boundaries in the South China Sea."

The Philippines filed a case before the International Court of Arbitration at The Hague on its dispute with China over the South China Sea.

China has reached a consensus with Brunei, Cambodia and Laos that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should not affect relations between China and the Association of South East Asian Nations.