Beijing, China — Beijing will "legitimately defend (its) rights" in the South China Sea, the country's foreign minister said Thursday, following a string of incidents involving Chinese and Philippine ships in the disputed waterway.
"We will legitimately defend our rights in accordance with the law," Wang Yi told a press briefing in Beijing, urging "certain countries outside the region not to stir up trouble or pick sides, and not to become disruptors or troublemakers in the South China Sea".