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

The US secretary of state opens his term by reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the Philippines and other regional allies.

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