(ECNS) -- The "South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award" is a political farce masqueraded as a legal process from beginning to end, and the so-called award carries no legal force in any sense, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.
The spokesperson Jiang Bin made the remarks at a press conference when asked to comment on the Philippine defense secretary's recent visit to Zhongye Dao to take part in the activities commemorating the so-called 10th anniversary of the "South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award."
China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao and its adjacent waters, including Zhongye Dao, Jiang said.
He pointed out that the Philippine defense secretary, who is sanctioned by China, is playing tough by staging political shows and fanning nationalist sentiments, which will ultimately undermine the fundamental interests of the Philippines and its people.
"China does not accept nor recognize the award. China does not accept any claims or actions based on it," the spokesperson said.
No matter how certain individuals in the Philippines perform, they can never distort the historical and legal fact that relevant islands and reefs belong to China, and can never shake the firm determination of the Chinese military to defend China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Jiang added.
(By Zhang Dongfang)
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