Guns 'pointed at Chinese coast guards'

State media said yesterday that personnel on a Philippine ship pointed guns at China's coast guard in disputed waters of the South China Sea last month.

At least two personnel on the Philippine vessel near the Second Thomas Shoal were carrying guns on deck, pointing them in the direction of China's coast guard, CCTV said.

An accompanying 29-second video appeared to show a masked man momentarily holding up a blurred black object that resembled a rifle.

CCTV said the alleged incident occurred during a Philippine mission to supply troops.

The troops are stationed on a rusting warship that Manila grounded in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claims.

The Philippine navy, coast guard and National Security Council, as well as the country's embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, in a speech on Friday attended by Chinese defense minister Dong Jun, made a thinly veiled reference to Beijing, denouncing what he called illegal, coercive and aggressive actions in the South China Sea, which were undermining southeast Asian countries' vision for "peace, stability and prosperity."

Confrontations between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea have grown more tense and frequent during the past year, including China's coast guard using water cannons and accusations by Manila that it had rammed Philippine vessels.