File photo of Chinese fleet on South China Sea.

China is resolving South China Sea disputes through bilateral negation and urged Australia to honor its commitment of not taking sides of on issues concerning sovereignty disputes, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"The situation in the South China Sea remains generally stable. China is resolving relevant disputes through bilateral negotiation with countries directly concerned and maintaining peace and stability of the South China Sea together with ASEAN countries. We hope that the Australian side would honor its commitment of not taking sides on issues concerning sovereignty disputes, respect efforts by China and ASEAN countries and take concrete actions to uphold regional peace and stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei said in a regular press conference in response to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's recent comment on China should stop proceeding the construction on South China Sea islands and reefs.