China rescues warship near Philippines A Chinese frigate grounded in disputed waters close to the Philippines was refloated on Sunday and heading back home, averting a possible stand-off with the Philippines navy amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. The South China Sea has become Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint as Beijing's sovereignty claim over the area has set it against both Vietnam and the Philippines as the three countries race to tap potentially huge oil reserves. In all, six parties have rival claims to the waters, which were a central issue at an acrimonious Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional summit last week that ended with its members failing to agree on a concluding statement for the first time in 45 years. On Friday, the Chinese navy said one of its vessels had run aground on Half Moon Shoal, about 90 nautical miles (170km) off the western Philippine island of Palawan, prompting Manila to send two of its vessels and reconnaissance aircraft to the area. Beijing said its vessel had been on a routine patrol. The Philippines defence ministry confirmed the grounded vessel and about six other Chinese ships spotted in the area had left. Manila says Half Moon Shoal - part of the Spratly Islands archipelago - falls well within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, as recognised by international law. Philippine defence and military officials say they are worried by China's "creeping" in disputed areas in the South China Sea, a violation of an informal code of conduct adopted in Cambodia in 2002. The two countries have faced off on a number of occasions in the disputed waters, and earlier in the year they were involved in a month-long stand-off at Scarborough Shoal, about 500km north of Half Moon Shoal. Last year, the Philippines scrambled aircraft and ships to the Reed Bank area after Chinese navy ships threatened to ram a Philippine survey ship. Beijing said last month it had begun "combat-ready" patrols in waters it said were under its control in the South China Sea, after saying it "vehemently opposed" a Vietnamese law asserting sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. The stakes have risen in the area as the US military shifts its attention and resources back to Asia, emboldening its long-time ally the Philippines and former foe Vietnam to take a bolder stance against Beijing. The US has stressed it is neutral in the long-running maritime dispute, despite offering to help boost the Philippines' decrepit military forces. It says freedom of navigation is its main concern about a waterway that carries $5tn in trade - half the world's shipping tonnage. At last week's Asean meeting, Cambodia sided with China and prevented the 10-nation bloc from issuing a customary concluding statement that covers achievements and concerns - this year, that primarily involved the South China Sea.