A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on Saturday called relevant parties to respect the facts and not be misled by untruthful media tactics over "ecological destruction" in South China Sea.
The comments came after a U.S. think tank accused China of having destroyed at least 21,000 acres of coral reefs in the South China Sea since 2012 through island construction and fishing of giant clams.
"This think tank concocted the false report by citing a few satellite images and stirring up falsified allegations from years ago, and such a report is neither factual nor verifiable," the spokesperson said.
China has always attached great importance to the protection of ecological environment of the Nansha Islands and Reefs and their adjacent waters, he added.
JFK airport project misrepresented as not allowing bids from white, male
The Aucklanders who refuse to use food scrap bins
Woman's rare disease causes 20
Enjoy last night's solar eclipse? How to tell if it could have PERMANENTLY damaged your eyes
Man convicted of murder in Detroit teen's death despite body still missing in landfill
I banned my wedding guests from wearing colourful clothes
Vanessa Hudgens displays her baby bump in a tight
The 7 bridges in the US that are at risk of a Baltimore
Every WNBA team to begin using charter flights by May 21
How I kept my Easter under £10 by buying no eggs and using year