Defence Secretary of the Philippines Delfin Lorenzana

He criticized China's increasingly assertive actions when asked to comment on Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua's assurances in Manila that Beijing won't seek hegemony in the East Sea and "will not take the first shot".

China said it does not bully people around and it follows international law, but what China is telling is not what the country is doing on the ground, the Defence Secretary said.

On this occasion, Delfin Lorenzana also criticized China for taking control of Scarborough Shoal following a protracted 2012 standoff.-VNA