China's foreign ministry on Friday urged the Philippines to immediately stop "infringement and provocation" in the South China Sea or face China's "resolute response." The remarks came a day after Beijing and Manila traded accusations following a confrontation between two of their vessels in contested waters of the South China Sea.

The Philippines seriously violated China's sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Mao said at a regular news conference, adding that the Chinese side's response was "legitimate and lawful".

Three interesting things happened in the past two days regarding the South China Sea issue. First, the US and the Philippines conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea. Second, Chinese and US representatives clashed over the South China Sea issue at the UN.