China on Friday rejected US criticism of its Huangyan Dao nature reserve, saying the US had no right to cite an invalid 2016 ruling for the Philippines.

File photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a routine press briefing in Beijing.

He was responding to a press statement issued by the US State Department spokesperson on August 8 local time, which said the United States rejects China's attempts to set up the national nature reserve at Huangyan Dao and deny Filipino fishermen access to their "traditional fishing ground" as reflected in the 2016 Arbitral Award.

Guo pushed back on the claim.

"Huangyan Dao has always been China's territory," he said. "It is within China's sovereign rights to establish and administer the Huangyan Dao national nature reserve."

The US was in no position to point fingers and the award was "illegal, null and void," the spokesperson said. "It provides no solid ground for the US to speak for the Philippines," he said. "Stop using maritime issues as a pretext to smear China."