Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he would send ex-leader Fidel Ramos to China for talks after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's claims to most of the disputed South China Sea.

Duterte asked former president Ramos "go to China to start the talks" with Beijing after the UN-backed tribunal's ruling on the strategically vital waters, though he did not specify a timeframe.

"War... is not an option. So what is the other side? Peaceful talks. I cannot give you the wherewithals now," Duterte said at a college alumni meeting that was also attended by Ramos.

"I have to consult many people, including president Ramos. I would like to respectfully ask him to go to China and start the talks."

Duterte's remarks came after a UN-backed international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China's claim to most of the South China Sea in what is widely seen as a diplomatic victory for the Philippines.

However the decision has also raised tensions with China refusing to recognise it and warning its rivals that too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waterway into a "cradle of war".

Ramos, who served as president from 1992 to 1998, is known to favour close ties with China. But the 88-year-old hinted he might not accept the offer, citing his age and other commitments.

Aides have said Duterte is now open to bilateral talks with China, suggesting the Philippines is in better position to negotiate following the Hague-based tribunal's decision.

The Philippines had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the verdict -- in line with Duterte's directive to achieve a "soft landing" with Beijing on the issue.

Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects.

China claims almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, even over territory also claimed by the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Chile rejects Bolivia call for talks on sea access
Santiago (AFP) July 13, 2016 - Chile on Wednesday submitted legal papers to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking to slap down persistent arguments from its landlocked neighbor Bolivia for negotiations on sea access.

Salvador's response to a suit started by Bolivia set out "legal and historical" grounds why talks on the issue should not happen, Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz said in a voice recording made available to reporters.

"There exists no obligation to negotiate," he said.

Under an agreement by both sides, the substance of the submission was not divulged.

Bolivia lost its access to the sea to Chile in the War of the Pacific in the 19th century, and has stepped up efforts to get it back under President Evo Morales.

Relations remain frosty between the two countries, which have no formal diplomatic relations since 1978.

Recently, Chile opened a new case before the Hague-based ICJ over a disputed water course originating in Bolivia.

Morales has threatened to reduce the flow from the Silala, which Bolivia considers a spring artificially diverted to flow over the border into Chile's parched Atacama desert. He wants to charge fees for use of its water.

Chile is asking the ICJ to declare the water body an "international river" to which it has rights, but Bolivia has promised to countersue over the claim.