China warned Britain on Tuesday against "provoking tensions" in the South China Sea after its foreign minister David Lammy called Beijing's actions in the disputed waters "dangerous and destabilizing".

China has accused the Philippines of polluting the environment after it released footage it said showed troops burning rubbish at a disputed reef in the South China Sea. The video, published on social media by state broadcaster CGTN on Saturday,

China has called on the United Kingdom to respect its interests in the South China Sea and avoid provoking tensions in the region. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning made the call on Tuesday.

China should recognise that the Philippines is an independent and sovereign state whose actions and decisions are driven entirely by national interest and not at the direction of other countries, Manila's foreign ministry said on Monday.