Saturday's stand-off was near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, the Philippines says.
In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said the incident happened on Saturday as its vessels were heading to Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
It described China's actions as "excessive and unlawful", adding that they also violated international law."Firing water cannons and employing unsafe blocking manoeuvres, PRC [China's] ships interfered with the Philippines' lawful exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and jeopardised the safety of the Philippine vessels and crew," the department said in a statement.
China ignores an international arbitration court's ruling that its claim to almost the entire South China Sea is ill-founded.The South China Sea is now one of the world's biggest flashpoints, especially as US-China tensions have soared in recent years. Access to these waters is key to defending Taiwan at a time when China's claims over the self-governed island have intensified.
The waterways also host $5tn of global trade every year, raising concerns that Beijing's increasing footprint could restrict commerce.
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