China’s foreign ministry has urged concerned countries to study and get clear understanding of the history and basic facts of South China Sea.

“The Yongxing Island is an inherent territory of China. From 1959 on, the Chinese government set up administrative offices and related government facilities on the Yongxing Island. For years, China has been carrying out constructions and been deploy necessary defense facilities. Some concerned countries and people should get clear understanding of the history and basic facts of South China Sea before making remarks,” said Hong Lei, a spokesman for the foreign ministry.

Hong made the comments at a routine press briefing on Friday, responding to the remarks made by US State Department spokesman John Kirby, who said the missiles on Yongxing Island — the largest island in the Xisha Islands group in the South China Sea — was installed recently and there was no sign of China stopping militarizing the island.

Yongxing is known as the Woody Island while Xisha Islands group is the disputed Paracel Islands.

Hong added that China has ample historical and jurisprudential evidences on the sovereignty over the Nansha islands and their adjacent seas. China’s stance of non-militarization in the Nansha Islands is conscientious and serious.

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