A formation of the Nanhai Fleet of China's Navy on Saturday finished a three-day patrol of the Nansha islands in the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - China on Friday said the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) is not a tool for the Philippines to whitewash its wrongdoings, urging the Philippines to stop unfounded accusation and hyping of China's construction work.

"The Philippines' willful abuse and distortion of the DOC is in itself a breach and damage to the DOC," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday, when asked to comment on the Philippine officials' criticism of China's construction on some maritime features of the Nansha Islands.

They also said what the Philippines has done on some occupied islands and reefs are just minor "repairs and maintenance" allowed under the DOC and that the Philippines built the airstrip on Zhongye Dao before the signing of the DOC in 2002.

"Illegal construction is illegal construction. Its illegal nature will not change no matter how it is covered up," Hua said.

She said a legal principle states that "Ex injuria jus non oritur" (Law does not arise from injustice).

Just like its construction work on all the illegally occupied islands and reefs, the so-called "repairs and maintenance" by the Philippines, whether massive or minor, old or new, are illegal and invalid, as they are conducted on China's islands and reefs grabbed by the Philippines since 1970s, she said.

"The Philippines keeps vowing that its actions are totally in line with the DOC. Is that true?" Hua asked.

"As long as we take a close look at the DOC, we will see that the Declaration focuses on efforts to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, keep the situation in check, and enhance practical cooperation on the sea," Hua said.

Peace, amity and cooperation is the quintessence of the DOC, which reflects the political desire and wisdom of China and ASEAN countries to keep the situation stable and promote friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation,she said.