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

The Philippines said Saturday it had suspended a scientific survey in the contested South China Sea due to "dangerous" harassment by Chinese navy and coast guard vessels and aircraft.

China claims nearly all of the disputed waterway, brushing off rival claims from other countries -- including the Philippines -- and an international arbitration tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

China's coast guard said the Philippines on Friday (Jan 24) 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 Philippines has launched a comic book to counter what the country says is China’s disinformation campaign to push its expansive territorial claims in 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’.

The Philippines launched a comic book on Friday in its fight against what it called distorted narratives about maritime rights in the disputed South China Sea, a move which drew criticism from China.

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,