Tensions between the two countries have increased this year as China seeks to disrupt the supply missions of Philippine ships.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Manila to “proceed with caution” in the hotly contested South China Sea as his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo stressed the need for dialogue between the two countries.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila over the waterway have increased in recent months, particularly in Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila has accused the Chinese coast guard of dangerous actions against Filipino boats during regular resupply missions for sailors on the Sierra Madre, which was established there in 1999.

Manila has filed dozens of diplomatic protests against China’s behavior and earlier this month called the Chinese ambassador after a collision between Chinese and Filipino ships.

Wang and Manalo held a telephone conversation with the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and released a five-paragraph summary of the discussions. In doing so, they noted that Manalo had discussed Manila’s views on Second Thomas Shoal, but claimed that any rise in tension was Manila’s fault.

“The root cause is that the Philippines has so far changed its political stance, reneged on its commitments, continued to provoke and cause unrest at sea, and undermined China’s legitimate and legitimate rights,” the statement said. “China-Philippines relations are at a crossroads. As Filipinos decide where to go, they must proceed with caution.”

Second Thomas Shoal is about 195 km (121 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 km (621 miles) from China’s southern island of Hainan.

Beijing seized Scarborough Shoal from Manila after a months-long standoff in 2012. The shoal lies about 220 km (137 miles) off the coast of the Philippines and falls within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under international maritime law.

In a brief statement, Manalo described the conversation with Wang as a “frank and candid exchange.”

“We ended our conversation with a clearer understanding of our respective positions on a range of issues,” he said in the statement. “We both emphasized the importance of dialogue in resolving these issues.”

China claims almost the entire South China Sea under its so-called Nine-dash line.

After the Scarborough Shoal incident, Manila took its case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

The court ruled in 2016 that China’s claims had no legal basis, but Beijing has ignored the ruling and doubled down on its claim by building artificial islands, setting up military facilities and deploying its coast guard. Maritime militia and commercial fishing fleet into the waters.

Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim parts of the sea and the latter two have also reported incidents involving Chinese ships.

Since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. became president of the Philippines in 2022, the country has revived its once close ties Relationship with the United StatesExpanding a defense pact that gives Washington access to more of its military bases.

In the call, Wang said Beijing was committed to dialogue but also issued a warning.

“If the Philippines misjudges the situation, insists on going its own way, or even cooperates with malicious external forces to continue causing trouble and chaos, China will definitely uphold its rights in accordance with the law and respond decisively “he said in the statement.