China's embassy in Manila on Saturday, Dec. 27, shrugged off criticisms after it offered assistance to distressed Filipino fishers in the West Philippine Sea, as it said there is nothing to worry over what it did.

"When you come across fishermen in trouble at sea, helping them is simply the first thing to do — no matter who they are or where they are from," the embassy said in a Facebook post.

"We believe the Philippines would do the same. There's no need to read too much into it," it added.

The embassy's remark came after ATIN ITO, a civilian-led coalition delivering goods to Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea, criticized what it called "a propaganda-driven assistance" conducted by Chinese troops to Filipino fishers in the West Philippine Sea.

Rafaela David, co-convenor, said that while the coalition recognizes the universal duty to assist those in distress at sea, what China did "was not humanitarianism" but an "image management."

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela also questioned China's presence in the Philippine waters as he said the vessel "had no legitimate reason to operate within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)."

"The reported location of this alleged humanitarian act—at coordinates 14°33.470'N, 118°52.120'E (approximately 71 nautical miles west of Silanguin Island, Zambales)—falls well within Philippine’ EEZ," Tarriela said.

But China maintained its goodwill.

"Kapag nangangailangan ng tulong ang mga mangingisda, tiyak na tutulong ang bawat bansa at bawat indibiduwal. Naniniwala kami na ganoon din ang gagawin ng Pilipinas, kaya huwag labis na ipag-alala (When fishermen need help, every country and every individual will surely lend a hand. We believe the Philippines will do the same, so there is no need to worry too much)," it also said.