MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard (CCG) used a long-range acoustic device (LRAD) to harass Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Saturday.

Chinese coast guard ships and a Chinese navy helicopter harassed a group of Philippine fisheries vessels conducting a scientific survey in a hotly disputed area of the South China Sea, forcing them to cancel the operation,

The United States under the administration of newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump affirmed its “ironclad commitment” to the Philippines amid the “dangerous” actions of China in the South China Sea.

New Secretary of State Marco Rubio told China's foreign minister on Friday that the U.S. would put the American people first and promote U.S. interests in its relationship with Beijing.

Wang told Rubio that both China and US should implement the “important consensus” reached between the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump, according to a Chinese government statement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first full day in office Tuesday warned jointly with Japan, India and Australia against coercive actions in Asia, in a veiled but clear warning to China over its actions at sea.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his first call with his Chinese counterpart, voiced "serious concern" Friday over Beijing's "coercive" moves on Taiwan and in the South China Sea, the State Department said.

The United States, Australia, India and Japan recommitted to working together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of the China-focused "Quad" grouping's top diplomats since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila and condemned Beijing for its "dangerous and destabilising" actions in the Sea, in his first phone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo.

China's foreign minister warns America's new secretary of state to "act accordingly" in diplomatic phone call.

"Secretary Rubio emphasised that the Trump administration will pursue a US-PRC (People's Republic of China) relationship that advances US interests and puts the American people first," said the State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce.