Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham says the actions of China are “dangerous” and “provocative”. 

This comes after China called on the Philippines to stop its “provocative behaviour” in the South China Sea. 

The Philippines has accused the Chinese Coast Guard of damaging one of its boats in disputed water. 

“These confrontations have been occurring for a long time, but they’ve also been escalating in their frequency and their severity,” Mr Birmingham told Sky News Australia. 

“The actions of China are dangerous, they’re provocative, and they’re unjustified.”