China responded on Tuesday to the Philippines' criticism of lighthouses constructed in the South China Sea, saying "these actions do not change the status quo there".

"China holds indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their surrounding waters. There is no need for us to bolster a sovereignty claim through building lighthouses," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

She reiterated that China's construction on the Nansha Islands completely falls within its own sovereignty.

China is building civilian and international public facilities on its own territory with the aim of better serving coastal nations in the South China Sea and passing vessels from around the world, Hua said.

The lighthouses on Huayang and Chigua reefs went into operation on Oct. 10 and have significantly improved navigational safety in the South China Sea.