The Philippines’ defence chief on Tuesday called for stronger international action against China amid its aggressive acts in the disputed South China Sea.

“China is the biggest disrupter of international peace in the ASEAN region,” Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a conference organised by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, referring to the Association of South-East Asian Nations.

He said, “The antidote is a stronger collective multilateral action against China.’’

Mr Teodoro said a United Nations “Security Council resolution condemning China and ordering it to stop” would be one strong step that could be taken by the international community but acknowledged this was not easy to achieve.

“The world is not perfect,” he said.

The comments came days after Chinese coastguard ships rammed and fired water cannon at a Philippine vessel delivering fuel, food and medical supplies to fishermen operating between Half-Moon Shoal and Sabina Shoal on Sunday.

The “perilous manoeuvres” led to engine failure, forcing the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to terminate its humanitarian operation, the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea said in a statement.

Last Thursday, a Chinese fighter jet fired flares at a Philippine aircraft conducting a routine patrol near Subi Reef, according to the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea.

It was the second time in two weeks that Chinese aircraft fired flares at Philippine planes over the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, has taken increasingly aggressive actions in the area in recent years.

It has ignored a 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court that it has no legal or historical basis for its expansive claims.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to the area, which is believed to be rich in natural resources.

 (dpa/NAN)