Manila, July 20 -- The Philippine government on Sunday disputed China's latest advisory warning its students about safety risks in the country, calling the security alert "inaccurate" and "mischaracterizing" the actual situation on the ground.

"The relevant advisory issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education mischaracterizes the situation in the Philippines," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement, responding to Beijing's July 18 alert citing the supposed "deteriorating public security situation" and an "increasing number of criminal incidents targeting Chinese citizens."

This is the second time this year that China has raised concerns over public safety in the Philippines.

In April, the Chinese Embassy in Manila ...