Philippine Coast Guard monitors the situation in the South China Sea. (Source: Yahoo News)

During the phone call, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi presented the two governments' positions on certain issues.

“We had a frank discussion and concluded the call with a better understanding of each other’s positions on a number of issues. Both countries recognized the importance of dialogue in resolving these issues,” the statement quoted Foreign Minister Manalo as saying.

Meanwhile, the statement from the Chinese Embassy in Manila gave more details about the phone call, such as Wang Yi's warning, calling on Manila to stop dragging third countries into conflicts.

On the same day, the Philippines said its military chief of staff and Japan's top general held talks on "pressing regional security issues," in which they stressed the importance of "building an anti-aggression alliance," including in the South China Sea.