China was prepared to respond to ”any escalation” in the maritime situation, Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said.
She also warned the Philippines it was making ”serious mistakes” and damaging relations.
The two countries have accused each other of maritime intrusions into disputed waters at the Scarborough Shoal.
China claims sovereignty over a large U-shaped area of the South China Sea, bringing it into dispute with several neighbouring countries.
Philippine and Chinese vessels have been facing off at the shoal since 8 April.
Ms Fu asked the Philippines to withdraw its ships from the area. ”China once again urges the Philippine side to seriously respond to China’s concerns and return to the right track for handling the matter,” she said.
Late last week the Philippines said there were four Chinese surveillance ships and 10 fishing boats in the disputed waters, as well as a Philippine coastguard vessel and a fisheries bureau ship.
Manila has asked China to settle the issue at the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
“We do not wish to escalate any tensions right now,” President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman told reporters last week.
“Therefore, what we’re doing for now is to just to document the situation… and consequently, raise it before the tribunals.”
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