Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Wednesday described the bilateral relations between the Philippines and China as “a bit choppy.”

In a press briefing, Manalo was asked about the current relations between the Philippines and China amid heightened tension in the West Philippine Sea.

“Well, I would say though, they're a bit choppy. There are many issues, which have come up recently,” he said, referring to the alleged wiretapping by Chinese diplomats in Manila as well as the China Coast Guard’s continuous aggression in the WPS.

According to Manalo, the recent efforts of the Philippine government in asserting its rights in the WPS were based on international law such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“Unfortunately, in this case, China has to continue to harass, for example, our fishermen. Tried and block our efforts to resupply, for example, our military personnel in the Ayungin Shoal, and our fishermen in Scarborough Shoal,” he said.

“We're merely trying to assert our rights and unfortunately, we are being hampered in doing so. And I, in my personal belief, this is creating the tensions,” he added.

Tensions between the two countries have risen over the past years due to its overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea.

China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which is within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

China’s historic “nine-dash line" claim, however, was rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 after it favored Manila’s sovereign rights in the area.