The remarks came a day after Beijing and Manila traded accusations following a confrontation between two of their vessels in contested waters of the South China Sea.

It was legitimate for China to take necessary measures, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a daily press conference on Friday, defending the Chinese coast guard’s response to the Philippine ships.

The China coast guard yesterday said it took “control measures” against Philippine ships and confirmed a collision occurred between the two sides’ vessels.

The US ambassador to Manila, MaryKay Carlson, described China’s actions as aggressive and, in a post on X yesterday, said they “recklessly endangered lives and threaten regional stability”.

When asked about Carlson’s comment, Mao told reporters “We advise the US side not to use the Philippines to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, and not to undermine peace and stability in the region.”

Coast guard vessels from the Philippines and the US took part for the first time in joint maritime exercises with naval and air force units in the contested South China Sea earlier this week.

China has accused the US of sowing discord in the region. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal said Beijing’s claims, based on its historic maps, have no basis under international law, a decision China does not recognise.