BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday defended the country's stance on the South China Sea, rejecting criticism from the United States, Japan and Western media.
Hua Chunying said at a routine press briefing that China's construction activities on its islands and reefs starting at the end of 2013 are aimed entirely at safeguarding its sovereignty and rights.
"China's construction in the South China Sea came later than other countries' illegal activities in the region," Hua said.
The United States "rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific" strategy and Philippine initiation of the South China Sea arbitration also came before China's island reclaiming, she said.
Hua's comments came after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said China's actions in the South and East China Seas threatened to create a "tinderbox."
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