China will respond resolutely to provocations in South China Sea: defense ministry

BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- China will respond resolutely to any action in the South China Sea that infringes on its legitimate rights or is provocative in nature, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday.

Spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang made the remarks when responding to a media query on the Philippine Coast Guard's claim that its patrolling vessels had been "closely approached" by China Coast Guard vessels.

Zhang said the Philippines has teamed up with countries outside of the region to stir trouble in the South China Sea, which severely violates the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and jeopardizes regional peace and stability.

He stressed that the United States is irrelevant to -- and should uphold its commitment to not taking a position on -- the South China Sea issue.

Philippine Coast Guard vessels have repeatedly intruded into the waters of Huangyan Dao, over which China has indisputable sovereignty, and the reactions of the Chinese side have been reasonable, legal, professional and restrained, Zhang said.

"China will continue operations of rights protection and law enforcement in the waters under its jurisdiction," Zhang said.

He noted that the South China Sea is a shared home of the countries in the region, and that China is resolved to manage differences with relevant countries through dialogue and consultation.