BEIJING - A military spokesman said Thursday that China remains opposed to the Philippines' illegal seizure of Ren'ai Reef.

In 1999, a Philippine warship was grounded on Ren'ai Reef. China has repeatedly asked the country to retrieve the ship, but the Philippines has ignored China and continued to illegally occupy the reef, Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said at a regular press conference.

Yang said the Philippines has made multiple efforts since May to continue the illegal grounding of the Philippine vessel.

"The Philippine side has promised to withdraw the warship but has failed to do so thus far," Yang said, adding that the grounding seriously violates China's territorial sovereignty and the principles of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

"The Philippine side must honor its promise and stop taking any action that encroaches on China's territorial sovereignty," Yang said.