A Chinese vessel aimed a laser at a civilian Filipino ship as China ramps up intimidation nd aggression in a contested part of the South China Sea.

Night vision footage shows the unidentified Chinese ship aiming the 'high-intensity' light at the BRP Datu Tamblot of the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Half Moon Shoal on December 2 evening.

The incident occurred some 60 nautical miles off the Philippine island of Palawan while the BRP Datu Tamblot was heading to the disputed Pag-asa Island.

A Philippine government report said the Chinese ship targetted the Filipino vessel six times at a five-minute interval. Crew of the nearby BFAR ship, BRP Datu Matanam Taradapit, recorded the laser, described as 'painful to the eyes', using a night vision camera.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has not issued a statement on the matter.

The encounter occurred two days before Chinese Coast Guard ships rammed and blasted PCG vessels with a water cannon during a routine maritime patrol in Scarborough Shoal.

The mounting violence 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.