China accused Australia on Friday of deliberately provoking it with a maritime patrol in the disputed South China Sea this week, saying the latter was spreading "false narratives", though Australia maintained its action adhered to international law.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Canada and the Philippines are in the final stages of negotiating a key defense pact that would allow their forces to hold larger military drills in the South China Sea, where Ottawa has rejected China’s “provocative and unlawful actions,” the Canadian ambassador to Manila said.

China in turn accused the Australian plane of "deliberately" intruding into airspace over the disputed Paracel Islands,