Videos released showed a Chinese coast guard ship sailing close to a Philippine vessel as well as a Chinese military helicopter hovering near a ship flying a Philippine flag.

The Philippines said on Saturday it has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after two of its fisheries vessels faced "harassment" and aggressive behaviour from China's coast guard and navy.

Chinese coast guard ships and a Chinese navy helicopter harassed a group of Philippine fisheries vessels conducting a scientific survey in a hotly disputed area of the South China Sea, forcing them to cancel the operation,

The Philippine coast guard says Chinese coast guard ships and a Chinese navy helicopter harassed a group of Philippine fisheries vessels conducting a scientific survey in a hotly disputed area of the South China Sea,

The Philippines launched a comic book on Friday in its fight against what it called distorted narratives about maritime rights in the disputed South China Sea, a move which drew criticism from China.

Two Philippine ships had to call off their scientific probe after Chinese vessels and a helicopter intercepted them near the Spratly archipelago, according to the Philippines' coast guard.

The coastguard said a mission to collect sand samples was suspended due to the ‘disregard for safety exhibited by the Chinese maritime forces’.