A flurry of naval drills surrounding the Philippines involving the United States and its partners has prompted complaints from Beijing.

China has conducted military patrols in the South China Sea while the Philippines was holding joint naval drills with the U.S., Japan and Australia, saying Manila is undermining Beijing's claims in the region.

Three Chinese Navy warships sailed through Philippine territory as tensions escalated over the South China Sea. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) vessels reportedly violated maritime protocols as they entered Philippine archipelagic waters without proper identification,