China has rejected the Philippines’ protest against its yearly fishing ban in the South China Sea, saying the four-month moratorium is meant to protect marine resources in waters under its jurisdiction. “China cannot accept the unwarranted accusation of the Philippine Foreign Ministry,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news briefing on Wednesday, according to a transcript posted on the agency’s website. “The summer fishing moratorium in the South China Sea adopted by China is a normal measure of protecting marine biological resources in waters under China’s jurisdiction,” he said.

Tan, A. N. O. (2022, June 3). China spurns DFA protest against annual fishing ban. Business World, p. S1/10.