South China Sea: Philippine navy chides Beijing for ‘coercive’ manoeuvre over Scarborough Shoal
China, which also claims sovereignty over the shoal, has disputed that saying it acted in a professional and legal manner.
The Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing patch with a lagoon that provides shelter for vessels during storms, is one of Asia’s most contested sites, located inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but occupied by China for more than a decade.
09:23
History, money and military: why the South China Sea is so important to Beijing
The incident is the latest flare-up between the Philippines and China after more than a year of heated rows over disputed areas of the South China Sea, as US ally Manila infuriates Beijing by stepping up its efforts to assert itself.
The two countries came to an arrangement last month after multiple stand-offs at the shoal, where the Philippines in 1999 intentionally grounded a navy vessel and maintains a small contingent of troops to prop up its claim to sovereignty.