China has urged the Philippines to stop hyping up the conflict over the West Philippine Sea after Beijing criticized the resolution adopted by the House of Representatives that condemned its actions in the waters.
Wang Wenbin, spokesman of China's Foreign Ministry, said in his regular briefing on Friday that the Philippines must also stop its supposed infringement into China's purported sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, and instead return to "the right track of resolving maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation" with Beijing.
Wang also called out the House resolution, which condemned Beijing's illegal actions in the waters and urged the Philippine government to continue asserting its right over the West Philippine Sea, by saying the move "groundlessly criticized, misrepresented and smeared China."
"We firmly reject it," the official said.
China has maintained its unilateral and historical claim over the whole South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that the Philippines has jurisdiction over its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Wang also said in his remark that China "has indisputable sovereignty" over islands of the South China Sea and that the ruling "violated the principle of state consent, exercised its jurisdiction ultra vires and rendered an award in disregard of the law."
Wang claimed that Chinese construction and other activities in the waters as well as the imposition of summer fishing moratorium are "legitimate" and part of protecting marine biology, respectively.
He said that the Philippines' deployment of people, aircraft and vessels to uninhabited islands and reefs in the waters "intrude into" China's sovereign territory.
"These moves severely violate China’s sovereignty, endanger China’s security, go against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea," he added.
The Philippines has repeatedly rejected China's pronouncements.