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,

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’.