China's embassy in Manila said the Chinese vessel flagged by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) off the coast of Cagayan was conducting a "normal navigation."

The Chinese embassy stressed on Wednesday, Dec. 31, that the vessel's presence was within a strait for international passage, pointing out that China does not recognize the Philippine Maritime Zones Act.

"The Chinese vessel was conducting normal navigation. China does not recognize the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, nor does it agree with Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act’s designation of the Balintang Strait as the only strait for international passage in northern Philippines," the embassy said in a statement.

"The Bashi Channel, Balintang Strait and Babuyan Strait in northern Philippines together form the Luzon Strait, which is a strait for international passage. China enjoys the right of passage through the archipelago maritime route in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS," it added.

PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said the Chinese research vessel (CRV) “Tan Suo Er Hao” was spotted using Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection program within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Tuesday.

The Chinese embassy also said that it has released an audio recording of the humanitarian assistance to a Filipino fisherman conducted by a Chinese naval ship in the West Philippine Sea.

"Also, (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela claimed there was no communication between the Chinese naval ship and PCG vessel regarding the Dec. 24 humanitarian assistance to the distressed fisherfolk. We already released on-site audio recording and he still hasn’t responded. He’d better check the basic facts before making groundless accusations," the embassy said.

Tarriela has earlier branded China's claim as a "PR [public relations] stunt," stressing that the exact location was not disclosed.

“Para sa akin, this is just a PR stunt. Kung babasahin ang inilabas nilang statement, hindi nila sinabi doon kung saan lokasyon, because they are hiding the fact na nasa loob sila ng ating EEZ (For me, this is just a PR stunt. If you read their statement, they did not say where the incident happened because they are hiding the fact that they were inside our EEZ),” Tarriela then said in a radio interview with DZBB.

A civil society coalition, Atin Ito, also rejected China’s claim that it rescued a Filipino fisherman, calling it a “deceptive, self-serving, and propaganda-driven public relations campaign” meant to sanitize the numerous abuses committed by Chinese maritime forces against Filipinos over the years.

Civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia also criticized the rescue operation, saying it was a "propaganda disguised as rescue."

"This was never just about aid. It was about narrative control—using a single act to dilute a long pattern of harassment, coercion, and intrusion," Goitia said.

The civic leader stressed that the Philippines does not reject humanitarian acts, adding that "acknowledging assistance does not legitimize unauthorized operations, nor does it erase a documented pattern of coercive behavior in the West Philippine Sea."

"What it rejects is the attempt to convert compassion into consent for unlawful presence," he said. "We can recognize humanity without surrendering legality. Kindness does not cancel sovereignty."