CCTV News: According to the website of the Ministry of National Defense, on the afternoon of December 26, the Ministry of National Defense held a regular press conference. The spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, answered reporters’ questions.

Reporter: According to reports, the Philippine Defense Secretary recently said that if China hopes to ease regional tension and instability, it should withdraw from the Philippines’ “illegal presence” in the exclusive economic zone. A spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard said that China's huge coast guard ships attacked the Philippines' weak coast guard ships. These intimidation behaviors and the spreading of misinformation were aimed at deterring Philippine fishermen's activities. Any comment on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and adjacent waters. The maritime dispute between China and the Philippines is not a question of who is bigger and who is smaller, but a question of right and wrong. The Philippines has repeatedly organized coast guard ships and fishing boats to violate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, jeopardizing the peace and stability of the South China Sea, and trying to pretend to be pitiful to win sympathy and confuse the international community. This will definitely not succeed. China advises the Philippines to immediately change course and return to the right track of resolving issues through negotiation and consultation with China.