China on Tuesday accused the Philippines as being "hypocritical and inconsistent in word and deed" as the latter prepares to revamp a military airport in the South China Sea. (Xinhuanet file photo)

BEIJING, April 12 -- China on Tuesday accused the Philippines as being "hypocritical and inconsistent in word and deed" as the latter prepares to revamp a military airport in the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a regular press briefing while commenting on a report that the Philippines is ready to upgrade a military airport on Zhongye Island, part of China's Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

The Philippine air force has recently transported substantial amounts of construction materials to the island, according to a report in the China Daily.

The Philippines hypocritically claimed to have stopped construction on Zhongye Island while brazenly continuing to upgrade facilities such as an airport on the island, which the Philippines occupies illegally, Lu told the press briefing.

He added that it exposed the fact that the arbitration lodged by the Philippines was political provocation under the cloak of law.

According to Lu, since the 1970s, the Philippines have illegally occupied some islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands by force, violating international laws including the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations. The Philippines did a lot of building and deployment of armaments on the islands and reefs it illegally occupied, Lu said.

Lu urged the Philippines to respect China's territorial sovereignty and rights and interests, and abide by international laws including the UN Charter, the basic norms of international relations and the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

"The Philippines should stop activities that violate China's territorial sovereignty and rights and interests, and return to the correct track of solving relevant disputes via bilateral negotiations," Lu said.