Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Photo: VCG

 The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned a so-called report released by a US imagery analysis company that accused Chinese ships of dumping sewage in the South China Sea, saying it was "fabricated" and "malicious."

Simularity, a US satellite imagery analysis firm, published a report on Monday, claiming that raw sewage discharged from more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels around the contested Nansha Islands in the South China Sea is causing extensive damage to coral reefs. 

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday's routine press conference that this report is a "big joke," saying that the US company was fabricating facts, violating professional ethics, and maliciously spreading rumors against China. 

China strongly condemned such act, Zhao said. 

Zhao said China is ready to work with the concerned countries in the region to eliminate interruptions and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Officials from the Philippines said they are verifying the case but questioned the authenticity of the report. 

On Tuesday, Delfin Lorenzana, secretary of national defense of the Philippines, belied the report, saying that the photo of a ship seen dumping waste accompanying the report was found to have been taken in the Australian Great Barrier Reef in 2014. 

Therefore, "this intent to mislead has cast great doubt on the accuracy of the Simularity report," he said in a statement.

Global Times