TOKONAME (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron, who arrived in Japan on Wednesday (May 25) for a Group of Seven summit, encouraged Beijing and others to abide by a looming ruling by an international tribunal on a territorial row between China and the Philippines.

Asked whether China had to abide by the ruling, Cameron told reporters: "We believe that it is in Britain's interests, in all our interests, to have a world that is based on adhering to the institutions of that world, and the rules of that world.

"That suits us, that is good for us and it is good for the world so we want to encourage China to be part of that rules-based world. We encourage everyone to abide by these adjudications and Britain has always taken that view and I am sure that will be something that we discuss."

Tension between the Philippines and China has risen as an international tribunal in the Hague prepares to deliver a ruling in the next few months in a case lodged by Manila in 2013 that could undermine Beijing's claims to 90 per cent of the South China Sea.

China has rejected the court's authority.