"I believe this is an outright manifestation of 'might is right'," he said.
According to Cui, tensions began to rise in the South China Sea about five or six years ago, the same time people heard about the pivot to Asia. He said disputes have intensified, relations strained and confidence weakened in the last few years.
"These issues have taken so much time and energy at so many regional and international forums, time that should have been spent to promote cooperation," he said.
The Chinese ambassador warned that if the Asia-Pacific is destabilized, regional economic growth momentum weakened and armed conflict starts, everyone's interests will be hurt.
He repudiated the blame on China's land reclamation, saying China is the last country to do so and does so only on the islands and reefs under China's own control, rather than trying to take back the islands and reefs illegally occupied by others.
Cui emphasized that negotiation and consultation among parties concerned still offer the most feasible and effective way forward. He said diplomatic efforts should not and will not be blocked by "a scrap of paper or by a fleet of aircraft carriers."
He cited the example of China's good track record of solving land border disputes with 12 of its 14 neighbors and also the agreement with Vietnam on maritime delimitation.
"So we are confident that China and other parties concerned, if not disturbed, will be able to resolve boundary issues over time through negotiations and consultations," he said.
Cui reiterated that the territorial issues in the South China Sea should not be an issue between China and the US or seen as part of a strategic rivalry between the two countries.
He warned against Cold War thinking and said the world today needs more partnership among countries, especially among major players.
"We want to see a constructive and positive interaction in the Asia-Pacific between our two countries. We are here to see what kind of choice the US will make; how you see the world today; how you see China's development; and how you see the relationship between our two countries,"
"I hope you make the right choice, and I hope you do so in a very clear way," Cui said.
Harvard University professor Graham Allison said that no permanent member of the UN Security Council has ever complied with a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on an issue involving the Law of the Sea.
"In fact, none of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have ever accepted any international court's ruling when (in their view) it infringed on their sovereignty or national security interests. Thus, when China rejects the Court's decision in this case, it will be doing just what the other great powers have repeatedly done for decades," he wrote in The Diplomat magazine on Monday.
