The legal documents determining the territorial scope of the Philippines, including the Paris Treaty and Washington Treaty signed between the United States and Spain in 1898 and 1900, and the Treaty between the United States and Britain signed in 1930, have all excluded China's Nansha Islands and Huangyan Island from Philippine territories. For a long time, the law of the Philippines, including the constitution, has confirmed the stipulations on Philippine territories that these treaties made, Hua said.
She said after the end of the World War II, especially after the beginning of the Cold War, the Philippines began to covet China's Nansha Islands. Since the 1970s, the Philippines has used force to occupy eight of the islands one by one, including Mahuan Island, Feixin Island, Zhongye Island, Beizi Island, Nanyao Island, Xiyue Island, Shuanghuang Shoal and Siling Reef.
"China has always firmly opposed the illegal occupation by the Philippine side and repeatedly and sternly demanded they withdraw all personnel and facilities from the islands of China," Hua said.
The Philippines has attempted to occupy China's Ren'ai Reef and Huangyan Island. In May, 1995, the Philippine side illegally grounded the No.57 landing craft at Ren'ai Reef using the excuse of "mechanical dysfunction", on which China immediately lodged representations and protest.
The Philippine side has promised to tow away the grounded warship, saying it will not be the first country to violate the the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). "But now the Philippines has not only broken its promise by not towing away the ship, but attempted to build facilities there and occupy the reef," she said.
Hua cited the Philippine's military's harassment of Chinese fishing boats and persons in the seas off Huangyan Island in 2012.
"The Chinese government had to take necessary and proper measures in response to the illegal seizure of the Chinese territory," Hua said.
The Philippine side also improperly criticized China's dotted line on the South China Sea, Hua said, stressing the dotted line, announced by the Chinese government in 1948 reiterate China's sovereignty and related rights.
China has repeatedly expressed its position of "not accepting or getting involved into" the so-called arbitration the Philippine side has filed on the China South Sea disputes in January 2013, Hua said.
Hua stressed China and the Philippines are neighbors and this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-Philippine ties.
"Facts show that China and the Philippines have been long term good friends and neighbors. The two countries should have been able to settle the South China Sea issue through friendly negotiation," Hua said.
She reaffirmed China's adherence to the path of peaceful development, saying China is committed to settling the disputes through negotiations and working with the Philippines and other ASEAN countries to implement the DOC in the South China Sea.
China urges the Philippine government to take into account the overall picture of China-Philippine relations and regional peace and stability and follow the tide of peace, development and cooperation and the joint aspiration of the two people's, Hua said.
She urged the Philippine government to stop provoking relations between the two peoples and end their irresponsible acts and deeds, return to the correct track of settling disputes through negotiations and work with China to safeguard peace between the two peoples and maintain regional peace and stability.
