'China for peaceful negotiation to handle disputes'

Beijing, Oct 17  China always insists on resolving divergence and disputes through friendly negotiations with parties directly concerned and will try utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts, a senior Chinese military official said on Saturday.

China has always advocated handling disputes by peaceful manners and will not use force recklessly even if it comes to issues related to territory and sovereignty, said vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong.

Fan said China has settled land and border issues with a majority of neighbouring countries through consultation, reported Xinhua.

He also reiterated that the construction on the Nansha islands serves mostly civilian purposes, which not only improves the marine navigation but provides more public services.