China says vessels in disputed sea are 'fishing boats' after Manila protest

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. - File photo:CGTN

BEIJING (AFP): Chinese vessels gathered near a disputed reef in the South China Sea are "fishing boats" sheltering from poor weather, the foreign ministry said Monday (March 22), a day after the Philippines described their presence as an incursion.

China claims almost the entirety of the resource-rich sea, and has been accused by the United States of efforts to "intimidate, coerce and threaten other nations" to control it.