The Chinese Coast Guard's largest vessel was reportedly pushed back from the Philippine coast.

Footage shows crew of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) BRP Teresa Magbanua trading radio challenges with the 'monster ship' China Coast Guard (CCG) 5901 off the coast of Zambales province, on February 2.

PCG spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement it was the 30th consecutive day of China's 'illegal' presence in Philippine waters.

He added: 'The China Coast Guard monster ship, initially spotted 54 nautical miles from shore, has now been pushed back to approximately 120 nautical miles, due to the vigilance and professionalism of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels.

'Currently, the BRP Teresa Magbanua remains steadfast in its patriotic duty, actively challenging the presence of China Coast Guard 5901, which is now located around 117 nautical miles from the coast. The PCG is committed to preventing the normalization of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) illegal deployment of maritime forces in the region.'

The BRP Teresa Magbanua is the largest ship in the Philippine Coast Guard's arsenal. It was previously damaged in alleged ramming incidents by the CCG in disputed waters last year.

China has been sending numerous coast guard vessels near the shores of the Philippines on maritime patrol.

One of 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.