BEIJING -- China's joint naval-air combat patrols near Huangyan Dao are legitimate operations intended to protect its rights and interests, and respond to contingencies and preserve regional stability, a defense spokesperson said on Friday.

Huangyan Dao is a part of China's inherent territory, and the South China Sea is a shared home for countries in the region, rather than a hunting ground for external forces, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said when commenting on a recent joint patrol that the United States, the Philippines, Australia and Canada conducted in the South China Sea.

Zhang criticized the Philippines for colluding with countries outside the region to undermine regional peace and stability, and accused the outside countries -- the United States, in particular -- of ganging up and provoking troubles.

China will continue to take firm, necessary measures against provocations that violate its sovereign rights and interests, and that harm regional stability, he added.