CHINA said it would take "firm and decisive actions" against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) flagship BRP Teresa Magbanua, which has been anchored since April at the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, a part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

"The Philippine vessel entered the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao (Escoda Shoal) without authorization and has remained there for an extended period, which significantly infringes on China's sovereignty, breaches the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and jeopardizes peace and stability in the South China Sea," said a statement released over the weekend by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lian Jian, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said China has protested to the Philippines through diplomatic channels and asked the Philippines to stop its infringement activities and withdraw the vessel at once.

"China is closely monitoring the developments and will take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and uphold the sanctity of the DOC," he added.

At the same time, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Beijing expressed its "very dramatic" alarm over a mid-range missile system that the US military recently deployed to the Philippines and warned it could destabilize the region.

But Manalo said he reassured his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, that the weaponry was only in the country temporarily in talks last month in Laos on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings with Asian and Western countries.

"We discussed it and, well, they made it very dramatic," Manalo said in response to questions during a news conference with foreign correspondents in Manila. "I said you shouldn't be worried."

Pressed to specify what China's specific concerns were, Manalo said Wang warned the presence of the US missile system could be "destabilizing," but the Philippine foreign affairs chief said he disagreed.

"They're not destabilizing," and the missile system was only in the Philippines temporarily, Manalo said he told Wang.

The US Army said in April it transported the mid-range missile system, a land-based weapon that can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, from the US to the northern Philippines as part of combat exercises with Philippine troops.

The missile system, however, was not fired during the joint combat exercises of the longtime treaty allies, and the Philippine military has said the missile system may be transported out of the country next month.

China has strongly opposed increased US military deployments to the region, including to the Philippines, and warned these could endanger regional stability and peace.

The US and the Philippines have repeatedly condemned China's increasingly assertive actions to fortify its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where hostilities have particularly flared since last year between Chinese and Philippine coast guard forces and accompanying vessels.

The BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed at Escoda Shoal since April. Reports indicate that its sister ship, the BRP Melchora Aquino, is on its way to relieve the flagship of its duties.

Since July, China has deployed its vessels, including the 12,000-ton CCG-5901, the largest coastguard vessel in the world, to monitor the Philippine ships.

Additionally, on Friday, the Chinese defense ministry accused the Philippines of "inviting trouble and acting as pawns" by involving the United States and its allies in the South China Sea disputes. The ministry reiterated that China has "indisputable sovereignty" over the islands, reefs, and adjacent waters in the region.

"We will take legitimate countermeasures against deliberate infringements and provocations to protect our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," Chinese defense ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said.

Sabina Shoal — called Xianbin Reef by China and Escoda Shoal by the Philippines — forms part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

It is located within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone set forth by Manila but is also claimed by Beijing.

The uninhabited reef has emerged as the latest area of contention between China and the Philippines over the past few months, in addition to the long-contested Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

WITH AP

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