The protest stems from the presence of two coast guard vessels on Jan. 5 and Jan. 10 in and around the disputed Scarborough shoal

The Philippines has accused a giant Chinese coast guard vessel it dubbed as the “Monster” of maintaining an “illegal presence” in its exclusive economic zone as Beijing ramps up activities in the disputed South China Sea.

Beijing and Manila have agreed to continue talks on settling their territorial differences despite Philippine protests about the presence of a Chinese "monster ship" near the contested Scarborough Shoal.

China Coast Guard vessel 5901 or Beijing's "monster ship" is still "operating unlawfully at a distance of 60-70 nautical miles from Philippines territory", the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Saturday,

The world's largest coast guard vessel, China Coast Guard 5901, is maintaining its presence off Zambales province in the West Philippine Sea despite Manila's calls for Beijing to withdraw the ship.