FM: China reserves right to further actions on fishermen's detention

China reserves the right to take further actions on the Philippines' detention of Chinese fishermen, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing on Friday.

On Tuesday, Philippine police detained 11 Chinese fishermen and their boat near China's Half Moon Shoal in the South China Sea.

Hua reiterated that China has indisputable sovereign rights over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters, including the Half Moon Shoal, where the incident occurred.

Chinese maritime police boats rushed to the sea area after the incident happened, Hua said, adding that the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines have lodged representations with the Philippine side.

China has demanded the Philippines to "immediately" release detained fishermen and the boat, guarantee the safety of Chinese citizens and their property, and make sure there is "no more such things".

Any actions taken by the Philippines against these Chinese fishermen are illegal and invalid, and China reserves the right to take further actions, Hua said.