China has urged the Philippines to stop its maritime exercises in the disputed territory in the South China Sea, warning it would escalate the dispute there. In his regular press conference on April 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin reasserted China's claims over the Nansha Islands or Spratly Islands, despite the 2016 arbitral ruling rendered in 2016 by Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating its expansive 9-dash line claims over the disputed waterways and upheld the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea. China has refused to recognize the arbitral court ruling.

Requejo, R. E., Ramos-Araneta, M., & Malabanan, J. (2021, April 28). China to PH: Stop marine drills in SCS: Says move escalates dispute, demands respect for its rights. Manila Standard, p. A1, A2.