China on Monday urged the Philippines to stop "malicious hyping and provocation" on territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks while commenting on media reports of the Philippine foreign ministry, which allegedly said China's construction on islands in the South China Sea after the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in 2002 has violated the DOC.
The Philippine side also argued that it constructed the airport on Zhongye Dao (Thitu Island) in the Spratlys before 2002.
Hua said the core reason of the two countries' disputes in the South China Sea was the Philippines' illegal occupation of some of China's islands since the 1970s. The Philippine side conducted large-scale construction of military and civil facilities including airports, ports and barracks on those islands for many years.
According to Hua, the Philippines violated its commitment, refused to drag away its stranded warship near the Ren'ai Reef (Second Thomas Shoal) and tried to consolidate it to seize the reef.
Read the full story at Want China Times