A Chinese Coast Guard ship rammed a Philippine Coast Guard vessel at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

Footage shows China's CCG 3302 shunting the much smaller BRP Datu Pagbuaya as both vessels sailed in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, some 120 nautical miles west of the Philippine island Palawan, on December 4 morning.

The Chinese vessel also fired a water cannon at the Filipino ship, which was on a routine maritime patrol in the area.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said in a statement: 'The People's Republic of China has no jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc, which is classified as a rock under the 2016 Arbitral Award and Article 121 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

'The Philippines has sovereignty over it, including its territorial sea. The waters beyond Bajo de Masinloc's 12-nautical-mile territorial sea fall within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, measured from Luzon's baseline.'

Despite the alleged harassment, the PCG said it was 'committed to protecting the rights and safety of our fishermen within our maritime jurisdiction. We will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our national interests in the West Philippine Sea'.

Just a week earlier, a Chinese army helicopter reportedly harassed Filipino fishermen in Rozul Reef in the disputed waters.

The latest encounter comes as China rival the US was developing an army base in the Philippines under a mutual defense treaty.

Expansionist China currently lays claim over almost the entire South China Sea, one of the world's busiest sea lanes. But a United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 deemed its claims groundless.

The Communist rogue state - accused of genocide for its crimes against the Uyghur population - has been steadily increasing its influence in recent years through investment in developing countries.