MANILA, Philippines. Philippine authorities have declared their intention to dismantle any floating barriers erected by China’s coast guard in the disputed South China Sea, according to a statement by a Philippine admiral on Wednesday. This announcement comes in the wake of a recent incident where Manila removed one such barrier in a contested shoal, sparking tensions with China.

Officials in the Philippines strongly condemned the installation of a 300-meter-long (980-foot) barrier by Chinese coast guard vessels at the entrance to the Scarborough Shoal’s lagoon last week, viewing it as a violation of international law and Philippine sovereignty. The barrier had effectively blocked Filipino fishing boats from accessing the bountiful fishing grounds in the area. Scarborough Shoal is located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, just west of Luzon Island, but has been under Chinese occupation since 2012, as part of China’s expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

On Monday, the Philippine coast guard confirmed its compliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to launch a covert operation aimed at removing the rope and net barrier held up by small buoys at the entrance to the shoal. China responded on Tuesday by urging the Philippines to “refrain from provocations or seeking trouble.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated in a Beijing news briefing, “Huayang Island is China’s inherent territory,” referring to Scarborough Shoal by its Chinese name. He characterized the Philippines’ actions as a “farce” and emphasized China’s commitment to safeguarding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the region.

Philippine Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, head of the military’s Western Command responsible for overseeing the South China Sea, expressed concerns that the Chinese coast guard might deploy a similar floating barrier at the entrance to Second Thomas Shoal. This shoal is occupied by a small Philippine navy contingent on a grounded warship and is currently surrounded by Chinese coast guard vessels. Carlos stated, “My concern is, if they also put a barrier in Ayungin… we also have to remove the barrier. Whatever they install, we will remove.”

Under President Marcos, who assumed office last year, the Philippines has escalated efforts to counter China’s increasingly assertive actions in the highly contested South China Sea. The Philippine coast guard has started inviting journalists to join its territorial patrols, aiming to expose what it calls China’s bullying tactics in the region.

Apart from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan are also parties to the longstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea, which has long been considered a potential flashpoint in Asia and a sensitive issue in the broader U.S.-China rivalry.

While Washington does not claim sovereignty over the South China Sea, it has conducted naval patrols for decades to challenge China’s expansive claims and promote freedom of navigation in the region. China has repeatedly urged the U.S. to refrain from intervening in what it sees as an Asian dispute.

Adm. Carlos confirmed that the Philippine military would comply with President Marcos’s orders to ensure that the marooned and deteriorating navy ship, used as a territorial outpost at Second Thomas Shoal, “remains there, strong enough to be able to fly the Philippine flag.” China has requested the Philippines to tow the ship away from the shoal, but the Philippines maintains that the area falls within its exclusive economic zone.

Chinese coast guard vessels have previously attempted to block Philippine resupply vessels, resulting in near-collisions. The United States has stated its commitment to defending the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, in the event of any attack on Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft, including in the South China Sea.