China urged the Philippines to stop ''provocations'' in the South China Sea after the Philippine Coast Guard said it removed a floating barrier placed by the Chinese to prevent Filipino fishermen from entering the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

"We urge the Philippines not to make provocations or seek trouble," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Weibin said in Beijing.

Manila criticized the installation of the 300-meter-long barrier at the mouth of the lagoon of the Scarborough Shoal, a fishing ground called Huangyan Island by the Chinese and Bajo de Masinloc by Filipinos.

The shoal was seized by China from Manila in 2012 following a two-month standoff, triggering an arbitration complaint by Manila 10 years ago.

“The so-called statement was what the Philippines told itself. China’s resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and maritime rights and interests over Huangyan Island is unwavering," Wang said.

Philippine officials said China' barrier is a violation of international law and the country's sovereignty. DMS