Beijing refutes report on sea construction

A report on China's plans to build an environmental monitoring station on Huangyan Island in the South China Sea is not true, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday in Beijing.

"Our position on Huangyan Island has been consistent and clear," Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for Chinese foreign ministry, told a daily briefing on Wednesday, adding that China attaches great importance to its relationship with the Philippines, values the current good development momentum and will continue to promote bilateral ties, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Earlier, Xiao Jie, mayor of Sansha City, said China planned to begin preparatory work this year to build environmental monitoring stations on a number of islands, Reuters reported.

"China certainly places great importance on the preservation of the South China Sea's ocean ecology," Hua said.