Manila, Dec. 18 -- The Philippines is not exaggerating reports of repeated Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, as the incidents are well documented, a Department of National Defense spokesperson said Thursday.

"The Philippines is not hyping the issue, the facts speak for themselves. These are aggressive, excessive, and dangerous actions of an encroaching state," DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said in a statement.

"No amount of rhetorical reframing changes the reality that ordinary fishermen were harmed while fishing lawfully within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, and that the CCG (Chinese Coast Guard) deliberately disrupted our humanitarian efforts."

He is reacting to a statement from China's...