China has rejected criticism from the US and Japan over disputes in the South China Sea. At a press conference on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the US and Japan are ignoring basic facts and making groundless accusations against China. She said their aim was to set China and its neighbours against each other.

Hua reiterated China's stance on the territorial issues. She said China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters, based on historical and legal evidence. She said any Chinese construction was taking place on its own territory in accordance with international law.

Hua said the Philippines' application for arbitration was not intended to resolve the dispute, but rather to negate China's rights. She insisted that all signatories should abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed in 2002.