The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) claimed China blocked it from bringing home a dead Filipino fisherman amid mounting territorial tensions in the South China Sea.

The PCG vessel BRP Cabra was patrolling disputed waters when it received a distress call from a fishing boat off some 70 nautical miles southwest of Silanguin Island in Zambales province, on January 27.

PCG crew arrived at the scene and found that one of the fishermen onboard the wooden boat had already died. Footage shows coast guards battling to pull the surviving anglers onboard the ship as they braced against large waves.

In a statement, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said: 'To transport the body of the fisherman back to Subic, Zambales, BRP Cabra bravely navigated through the heavy waves to retrieve the deceased using its crane. It is crucial to note that the Chinese Coast Guard vessel CCG-3304, despite being aware of the distress call from the Filipino fishermen, engaged in shadowing that hindered the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel's efforts to recover the body.'

The body of the fisherman was safely returned to shore, authorities said.

Chinese vessels have been roaming near the coast of the Philippines as Beijing continues to assert its territorial claims over the South China Sea.

Among them is the massive CCG 5901, the world's largest coast guard vessel at 541 feet and 12,000 tons, which started lurking off the seaside province of Zambales on January 4 afternoon.

Authorities believe the ships were deployed to intimidate Filipino fishermen from entering the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed fishing ground and resource-rich area in the South China Sea.

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.