It is the language of hegemony trying to hype the so-called "militarization" of the South China Sea, the spokeswoman for the National People's Congress said on Friday.

Fu Ying, the NPC spokeswoman, made the remarks in a news conference, before the opening of the Fourth Session of the 12th NPC on Saturday.

Fu said the hype aims to label the Chinese as "threatening regional peace" in the South China Sea, and is "misleading".

"If one takes a closer look, isn't it the fact that the most advanced aircraft and warships traveled back and forth to the South China Sea from the United States," Fu said. "And an important decision of its pivot to Asia strategy by the US is to put 60 percent of its navy in the Asia-Pacific region."

The US is strengthening military deployment in the Asia-Pacific region together with its allies since its pivot to Asia, Fu said. Is it not militarization? She asked.

The US sending warships so close to the Nansha Islands to show their military muscle is horribly offensive to the Chinese people, Fu said.

Concerning the reclamation of islands in Nansha, Fu said that these islands should have necessary facilities for self-defense.

We never recognized the illegal occupation of islands and reefs by other countries in Nansha, Fu said, but instead proposed to "shelve disputes for joint development". That is not giving up our sovereignty over these islands but a bid to maintain regional peace and stability.

But if our territory and legitimate rights and interests continued to be damaged, the Chinese people will not agree to that, she added.

Fu said China improved its ability to safeguard its interests, provide public services and maintain regional peace and stability after the reclamation. "It is a good thing and people should not equate having a self-defense ability to militarization," she said.