China has fired a warning shot at the Philippines following a close naval encounter with the U.S. defense treaty ally earlier this week near a contested feature in the South China Sea. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment. China claims most of the South China Sea as its territory—putting it at odds with the Philippines, Vietnam, and several other neighbors with competing claims. Video released by the Philippines shows a pair of Chinese navy frigates on Monday carrying out what Manila called “high-risk” maneuvers as they intercepted a Philippine corvette near Scarborough Shoal. The traditional fishing ground, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc and in China as Huangyan Island, lies within the Southeast Asian country’s exclusive economic zone and has been the site of tense face-offs between Chinese and Philippine government forces. During the Chinese Defense Ministry’s regular press briefing Thursday, newly appointed spokesperson Jiang Bin said a Philippine warship had attempted to “intrude” into China’s territorial waters. He said it was the Philippine side that had approached in a “dangerous manner,” “seriously threatening China’s sovereignty and security” and that Chinese forces had taken “necessary measures to block and drive it away.”

Full report : China’s Defense Ministry blames Philippines for its warship’s intrusion in Chinese territorial waters.