MANILA: Philippine and Chinese coastguards reported conflicting versions of a maritime confrontation around a contested shoal in the South China Sea, the latest row in a longstanding dispute between the two neighbours.

The South China Sea, with its many strategic islands, is one of the biggest maritime routes in the world and has been a flashpoint between China and its neighbors. Naval aggression between the various nations is not new but follows a month of respite.

China's Coast Guard said on Tuesday that four Philippine ships had attempted to enter China's territorial waters around a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Liu Dejun, a coast guard spokesperson,