A Beijing official on Friday defended its military actions in the South China Sea as "legitimate" and "necessary law enforcement measures" in response to Philippine vessels that it says have illegally entered its territorial waters. "China has never used its size to bully smaller countries, nor would it ever do so, but China has always been principled, and has bottom lines," He Lei, a Chinese general and former vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences, told reporters after a speech by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES