Manila's duplicity cannot cover up core issue

The Philippines has never stopped playing tricks on the South China Sea issue. It is trying its best to cover up history and the facts, and to confuse the international community over the core issue, which is that the Philippines has not only seized some of China's territory, it wants more.

In its arbitration bid, the Philippines has used every means to whitewash the illegitimacy of its actions, and tried to legalize its untenable and illegal proposition through painstakingly packaging a disguised replacement of concept.

At the same time, Manila has tried its best to stigmatize all of China's legal and rational propositions and measures on the South China Sea issue, and portrayed China as an aggressive big power ignoring international law and bullying smaller countries.