China's coastguard said that it "allowed" for humanitarian reasons the Philippines to evacuate an individual who fell ill aboard a rusting ship beached at the Second Thomas Shoal, located in waters claimed jointly by the two countries.

In a late-Tuesday statement, the Chinese Coast Guard stated that they had monitored and verified all of the operations on Sunday. Their spokesperson explained that this was done at the request of the relevant parties in the Philippines.

The Philippine Coast Guard accused their Chinese counterparts of blocking an evacuation of medical personnel from the warship. They called the actions "barbaric" and "inhuman".

China's Foreign Ministry said that the Philippines can deliver supplies to Beijing and evacuate personnel as long as Manila informs Beijing in advance.

The Philippines have soldiers living on a rusty and aging warship that was intentionally grounded in 1999 by Manila to strengthen its maritime claims.

China's Navy has clashed with Philippine forces several times as they sought to resupply a grounded ship.

China claims the majority of the South China Sea as its territory. The South China Sea is a major conduit for ship-borne commerce worth $3 trillion annually. Beijing rejects a 2016 ruling from The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration, which stated that its expansive maritime claims lacked legal basis.