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

Videos released showed a Chinese coast guard ship sailing close to a Philippine vessel as well as a Chinese military helicopter hovering near a ship flying a Philippine flag.

The Philippine government launched a comic book Friday asserting its claims in the disputed South China Sea, amid rising tensions with Beijing over the strategic waterway.

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

China claims nearly all of the disputed waterway, brushing off rival claims from other countries -- including the Philippines -- and an international arbitration tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

The Philippines launched a comic book on Friday in its fight against what it called distorted narratives about maritime rights in the disputed South China Sea, a move which drew criticism from China.

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 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.

Manila and Beijing have had a series of escalating confrontations in disputed waters of the South China Sea. China claims almost all the strategic waterway - through which $3 trillion in commerce moves annually - overlapping sovereignty claims by the Philippines,

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,