SAN JOSE - Costa Rica's third largest party the Broad Front has said that China and the Philippines should hold direct talks over their dispute in the South China Sea.

The party's executive committee issued a declaration this week saying it supported China's call for a "peaceful and negotiated" resolution to the dispute.

The party said the declaration resulted from a detailed analysis of information "regarding the situation of certain islands and reefs of the Nansha archipelago in the South China Sea."

"Our party believes the position of the People's Republic of China points to the right path as it calls for a peaceful resolution of this dispute with the Philippines ... without the intervention or interference of third nations," reads the declaration.

The party added that it hoped China and the Philippines reach a settlement soon because doing so would "result in mutual benefits for their countries."

The Broad Front is the third largest party in the Costa Rican legislature, after the National Liberation Party and the ruling Citizen Action Party.