The Philippines' actions and decisions are driven by the national interest, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said as it refutes recent remarks of a Chinese foreign minister calling the disputes in South China Sea a "shadow play" performance staged by the Philippines.

"The Philippines disagrees with the recent remarks of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi characterizing the developments and incidents in the South China Sea as a mere theatre staged under the direction of other countries," the DFA said in a statement.

"China should recognize that the Philippines is an independent and sovereign state whose actions and decisions are driven entirely by national interest and the interests and well-being of the Filipino people," it added.

In a press conference last week, Wang said that "for every move on the sea by the Philippines, there is a screenplay written by external forces, the show is live streamed by Western media, and the plot is invariably to smear China."

"People are not interested in watching the same performance again and again. China will continue to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with law," he said.

"When managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) and Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal), we will also take into account the actual conditions out of humanitarian spirit. But let me make it clear that infringement and provocation will backfire and those acting as others’ chess pieces are bound to be discarded," he added.

The DFA stressed that there is "no creative analogy or play of words will mask the real issue, which is China’s refusal to abide by international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award, and the adverse effects of China’s disregard for the rules-based international order on Filipino communities genuinely affected by China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive behavior at sea."

"We call on countries to be circumspect and to avoid actions and words that only contribute to tensions in the region," it stated. Robina Asido/DMS