A China Coast Guard ship allegedly attempted to crash into a smaller Philippine Coast Guard Vessel that was half its size.

The 99m Chinese boat with bow number 3302 patrolled near Zambales coastline when Filipino officers onboard 44m BRP Cabra asked it to leave in the South China Sea.

Footage shows the much bigger 3302 sailing forward, dangerously closing in on the BRP Cabra on April 6.

A Filipino Coast Guard officer dictated the 3302's distance before one of them commanded to fall back.

PCG Spokesperson Jay Tarriela said: 'China Coast Guard vessel 3302 has engaged in reckless and dangerous manoeuvres, displaying a blatant disregard for safety.

'An alarming incident this afternoon involved an attempted head-on collision with the smaller PCG vessel, raising concerns about the China Coast Guard's adherence to the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs), of which they are a signatory.'

As PCG backed away, the Chinese ship made a turn. Spokesperson Tarriela said 3302 was pushed away.

He said: 'Significantly, the presence of BRP Cabra has effectively pushed the China Coast Guard vessel further away, now located approximately 92-96 nautical miles off the coast of Capones Island.'

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.