China's coast guard said the Philippines on Friday sent a civilian vessel to deliver provisions to its warship "illegally grounded" at Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea. The coast guard "questioned" and "monitored" the Philippine vessel throughout its supply mission,

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’.