China urges Philippines to stop provocations in South China Sea

China urges the Philippines to stop provocations and to not challenge China's determination to safeguard its sovereignty, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Philippines accused China's coast guard of harassment and damaging one of its boats in a disputed area of the South China Sea. "Philippine ships intruded without China's permission and the Chinese coast guard took necessary measures to drive them away," said Chinese ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, who was addressing a query on the matter.