The Philippines said on Saturday it has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after two of its fisheries vessels faced "harassment" and aggressive behaviour from China's coast guard and navy.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano and Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the South China Sea Jay Tarriela pose for a photo with a giant copy of the book "The Stories of Teacher Jun" during its launch at the National Library of the Philippines in Manila, Philippines, January 24, 2025. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David

The Philippines has launched a comic book to counter what the country says is China’s disinformation campaign to push its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The situation in the South China Sea figured in wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday, according to a joint statement.

As Jakarta deepens military and coastguard cooperation while rejecting Beijing's sweeping claims, can it maintain a precarious equilibrium? Indonesia is walking a fine line between bolstering ties with Beijing and preserving its long-standing non-aligned stance.

The Philippine coast guard reported that China's coast guard and navy conducted aggressive maneuvers against Manila's fisheries vessels. The harassment from three Chinese Coast Guard ships and a navy helicopter forced Philippine vessels to halt a scientific survey in the South China Sea.

The Philippines will soon decide on an international platform to sue China for alleged damage to the marine environment, its justice minister said, as it pursues a second high-profile legal challenge against Beijing over the South China Sea.

Chinese coast guard ships and a Chinese navy helicopter harassed a group of Philippine fisheries vessels conducting a scientific survey in a hotly disputed area of the South China Sea, forcing them to cancel the operation,