Taipei- Taiwan on Wednesday rejected the Philippines' claim to the disputed Spratly Islands, and its plan to include the mineral- rich South China Sea archipelago within its own territorial waters.

"Historically, geographically and factually, the Spratly Islands and its surrounding waters have long been the traditional territory of the Republic of China, without doubt," said Taiwan's Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The ministry said Taiwan, whose official title is Republic of China, will never recognise the territorial or sovereignty claims by the Philippines' or any other countries over the Spratly Islands.

The statement came after the Philippines' House of Representatives approved on Monday a bill outlining the country's national perimeters, which seeks to enclose its Kalayaan Island Group within the disputed Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The move risks potential military conflicts with other claimants, including Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Taiwan has stationed troops in Taiping Islet, the largest of the archipelagos.

The Taiwan ministry also asked the Philippines to resolve the dispute peacefully through dialogue with all claimants in the complex legal battle, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea. (dpa)