The Visa Office of the Consular Section of the Chinese Embassy will be closed on Wednesday, July 24, 2013, for security reasons, according to the website of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Philippines.

The notice was published on both the English and Chinese language versions of the website.

According to reports, the non-governmental organizations working in the Philippines announced days earlier that a "global anti-China demonstration" would be held on July 24 to protest against Chinese encroachment on reefs which the Philippines believes belong to them. The demonstration will take place outside the Chinese embassy in Manila. An estimated 5,000 people are expected to attend the demonstration.

The Department of State of the Philippines said on July 18 that the demonstration was organized without any government involvement but stressed that the Filipino people have the right to express their opinions freely and peacefully. The government also stressed that it would not interfere with the demonstration.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said that the Philippines' occupation of the Nansha reefs is the direct cause of the South China Sea dispute between the two countries. She reiterated that China is completely justified in safeguarding its national territorial sovereignty and that this position has never changed. She added that for the benefit of bilateral relations and regional peace and stability, China would work to resolve the territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation disputes through bilateral negotiations in accordance with the relevant provisions of the international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. This position is consistent with China's stance throughout the dispute.

Hua Chunying said: "To our disappointment, in recent years, the attitudes and methods of the Philippines's handling of the disputes go against the consensus reached by the two sides and the commitment made by the Philippine side in the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea."

She continued:"The Philippines shows little regard for the dialogue framework supported by most nations, refuses to cooperate and even aggravates the situation. Last year, the Philippines even used warships to harass civilians, triggering the Huangyan Island incident, which harmed Sino-Philippine relations and the peace and stability of the South China Sea."

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