MANILA, Philippines -- China deployed “an excessive force” of 40 ships that blocked two Philippine vessels from delivering food and other supplies to Manila’s largest coast guard ship in a disputed shoal in the latest flare-up of their territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Philippine officials said Tuesday.

China and the Philippines traded blame for the confrontation that occurred on Monday in Sabina Shoal , an uninhabited atoll claimed by both countries. This atoll has become the latest point of contention in the Spratlys, a region of the South China Sea known for its intense disputes. The Spratlys are a vital passage for global trade and security.

In recent months, both China and the Philippines have deployed coast guard vessels to Sabina due to suspicions that the other nation might attempt to gain control of the fishing atoll and construct structures there.

The animosity between China and the Philippines has escalated significantly since last year. Monday’s confrontation marks the sixth reported incident between the two sides in both the high seas and the air. These confrontations have raised concerns about a potential larger conflict that could involve the United States, a long-standing treaty ally of the Philippines.

The Philippine coast guard stated that the “excessive force” employed by Chinese coast guard and navy vessels, along with 31 suspected militia boats, illegally obstructed the delivery of food supplies, including an ice cream treat for the crew of the BRP Teresa Magbanua. This incident occurred on Monday, as the Philippines celebrated National Heroes’ Day.

The Philippine coast guard emphasized its continued commitment to safeguarding national interests and maintaining the safety and security of its waters. The agency called upon the China coast guard to adhere to international law and cease deploying maritime forces that could jeopardize mutual respect, a vital principle for responsible and cordial relations among coast guards.

In Beijing, China’s coast guard announced that it implemented control measures against two Philippine coast guard vessels that “intruded” into waters near Sabina Shoal. The statement asserted that the Philippine vessels escalated the situation by repeatedly approaching a Chinese coast guard ship. The Chinese coast guard did not disclose the specifics of the control measures taken.

China has significantly expanded its military capabilities and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing asserts as its sovereign territory. These tensions have resulted in more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, though the longstanding territorial disputes also involve other claimants, including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships have clashed near Sabina, which Beijing refers to as Xianbin and Manila calls Escoda.

Sabina Shoal is located approximately 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, within the internationally recognized exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

Sabina is situated near the Second Thomas Shoal, another area of tension where China has hindered the Philippine delivery of supplies for Filipino forces stationed on a grounded navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre. Last month, China and the Philippines reached an agreement to prevent escalating tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal, enabling a Philippine vessel to deliver food supplies a week later without any hostile incidents.

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Associated Press journalist Ken Moritsugu contributed to this report from Beijing.