A Philippine national flag flutters in the wind aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, run aground on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the West Philippine Sea. Reuters file photo.

TOKYO - Chinese authorities have instructed domestic media organizations to denounce an expected ruling by an international tribunal on the Philippines' arbitration case against China on their West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute, Chinese propaganda sources said Friday.

The authorities are apparently aiming to fend off criticism that could emerge within the country against the government if the Permanent Court of Arbitration issues a decision against Beijing.

The court in The Hague, the Netherlands, is expected to rule on the case within the next few weeks.

The authorities have also ordered that the media refrain from slamming the Philippines' incoming President Rodrigo Duterte -- a move that may be intended by Beijing to secure room for maneuver in negotiations with the new leader over the territorial dispute when Duterte starts his term later this month.

Ordered by the Communist Party's Publicity Department, the country's Internet censorship body has held large-scale seminars targeting officials of major media in the country since May, telling them of the official position that the court's decision will not be accepted and calling Manila's arbitration bid "a political provocation under the guise of law against China," the sources said.

The media executives have been instructed to pitch the court decision as "invalid" in Chinese and English, according to the sources.

They were also asked to propagate the position that China will reject negotiations with other countries based on the tribunal's decision and actively quote comments by scholars and pundits from the Philippines and western countries showing understanding to China's argument, according to the sources.

In the face of China's increasing de facto control of much of the South China Sea by reclaiming land and building artificial islands, Manila sought arbitration by the international tribunal, saying China's territorial claims violate the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.