Ministry: island's status not changed

China said its sovereignty and administration over Huangyan Island in the South China Sea "has not and will not change", and that China and the Philippines should strengthen dialogue and cooperation to make the South China Sea issue a positive factor for enhancing bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks in a daily news conference on Tuesday in response to reports that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will issue an order to ban all fishermen from fishing in the lagoon of the island.

During their meeting in Lima, the capital of Peru, on Saturday, President Xi Jinping told Duterte that the two countries should stick to friendly cooperation and proper management of differences, while Duterte said the Philippines is willing to handle maritime issues through dialogue and consultation with China.