The Philippines said Thursday that it had pulled its largest naval vessel away from a remote lagoon in the South China Sea where it was engaged in an uneasy standoff with two Chinese maritime surveillance ships . But the tense situation is not yet resolved , as a Philippine coast guard boat remains at the scene , and a third Chinese ship has arrived , said Raul Hernandez , a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs . The Philippine naval vessel -- the BRP Gregorio del Pilar , a 378-foot cutter -- has moved away from the lagoon for `` reprovisioning '' and a decision has not yet been announced on whether it will return , Hernandez said . He said negotiations were continuing with the Chinese in the hope of finding a `` diplomatic solution '' to the impasse at Scarborough Shoal , which both countries claim is `` an integral part '' of their territory . Scarborough Shoal is about 200 kilometers west of the Philippine mainland . `` For now , the ball is on the side of the Chinese , '' Hernandez said . The Philippines sent the Gregorio del Pilar to the area of Scarborough Shoal on Sunday after surveillance aircraft spotted eight Chinese fishing boats anchored inside the lagoon . A boarding team from the Gregorio del Pilar went to inspect the Chinese fishing boats Tuesday morning and found `` large amounts of illegally collected corals , giant clams and live sharks '' inside one of the boats , according to the Philippine government . Later Tuesday , the Gregorio del Pilar reported that the two Chinese surveillance ships had arrived and taken up a position at the mouth of the lagoon , blocking the way to the fishing boats and `` preventing the arrest '' of the fishermen . The Philippines said Thursday that it had sent the coast guard vessel to support the Gregorio del Pilar . It also reported the arrival of the third Chinese vessel , which it said was from China 's Bureau of Fisheries . The Chinese Embassy in Manila has complained to the Philippine authorities about `` the harassment of Chinese fishermen , '' China 's official news agency , Xinhua , reported Wednesday . China has `` urged the Philippine side to stop immediately their illegal activities and leave the area , '' Xinhua reported , saying that the fishermen were taking shelter in the lagoon `` due to harsh weather conditions . '' The embassy is `` engaged in discussions with the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to seek a solution '' and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea , Xinhua said . The South China Sea -- a 1.3 million square mile patch of the Pacific Ocean bracketed by China and several Southeast Asian nations -- is dotted with hundreds of largely uninhabited islands and coral atolls that are home to some of the world 's most diverse marine life . Also under its waves lie potentially huge reserves of natural gas and oil . That prospect has peppered the sea with competing claims from China , Vietnam , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei and Taiwan . It has also resulted in frequent small-scale clashes . Last year , a spate of incidents took place between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels .
The Philippines and China are locked in an impasse at a lagoon in the South China Sea . Photograph: Manila has sent a coast guard boat and pulled back a naval vessel from the scene . A third official Chinese ship has reportedly arrived at the lagoon .