Philippine authorities slammed Chinese ships for allegedly causing almost 200,000 USD worth of coral damage in Philippine waters.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) found swathes of destroyed corals after a Chinese fishing vessel dropped anchor some three kilometres (two miles) off the coast of the Pag-asa Island during a storm on June 7.

The ship was grounded for three hours before it was assisted by two other Chinese vessels. However, it had left behind a parachute anchor that damaged 307 square metres of reef.

Footage shows divers measuring the abandoned anchor, which officials said posed a threat to marine life because they may drag along the seabed amid strong currents.

The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), a government body tasked with overseeing environmental conservation in the region, said the incident caused 11.1 million PHP (195,650 USD) of coral damage.

Dr Benjamin Jareta Gonzales, PCSD scientific advisor, said: 'There are millions of plants and animals thriving, living in the coral reef. Such destruction will greatly affect our coral ecosystem.'

He also recommended the collection of penalties from China, citing local fisheries and wildlife protection laws.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard, said: 'We cannot speak for the People's Republic of China, but again we still accord them the sense that they are a responsible member of the international community, so we are hopeful that, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, we can be able to reach out to them and to present to them the damages they incurred because of the grounding incident.'

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.

(1 USD = 56.73 PHP)