China's Coast Guard said the supply run had proceeded "with permission" to what it considers an "illegally" beached ship. The Philippine Coast Guard had no immediate response to China's claim, which it has previously made, that it had allowed the mission to proceed.

China has held sea and air combat drills at disputed Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited area of reefs and rocks it had seized from the Philippines in the South China Sea.

China gave permission for a civilian ship sent by the Philippines to take supplies to its "illegally" beached warship at the Second Thomas Shoal, the Asian giant's coast guard said on Friday. "It is hoped the Philippines will honour its commitments,