China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, stated on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, that China strongly opposes the Philippines' recent illegal renaming of China's Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea. Beijing asserts indisputable sovereignty over these islands and adjacent waters, condemning Manila's actions of illegally delineating the "Kalayaan Island Group" and assigning new names to Chinese islands and reefs. China views these acts as violations of its territorial sovereignty and international law, vowing to implement necessary measures to safeguard its territorial integrity and maritime rights in the region.