FILE PHOTO: Some of the about 220 Chinese vessels reported by the Philippine Coast Guard, and believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, are pictured at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea, March 7, 2021. Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force-West Philippine Sea/Handout via REUTERS.
MANILA (Reuters) - Territorial "incursions" by hundreds of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea are straining ties between Manila and Beijing, and could lead to "unwanted hostilities", an aide to President Rodrigo Duterte's said on Monday.
Salvador Panelo, the presidential legal counsel, said the boats' prolonged presence in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was an unwelcome stain on relations and "may trigger unwanted hostilities that both countries would rather not pursue."
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