The Philippine coast guard says they have conducted a "special operation" to remove a floating barrier installed by China near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The Philippines last Friday confirmed the installation by the Chinese coast guard of a 300-meter floating barrier, held up by white buoys, near Scarborough Shoal.

The Philippines' National Security Council on Monday instructed the coast guard to remove the barrier. It said the barrier was blocking the entrance to the shoal and was posing a danger to Philippine fishing boats, and that its installation was a violation of international law.

Footage released by the Philippine coast guard shows a diver cutting a rope attached to the floating barrier. The coast guard said any action that hinders the livelihoods of Philippine fishermen amounts to a violation of international law and the country's sovereignty.

The waters around the shoal are known as a rich fishing ground and are located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. They have been under effective control of China since 2012. A 2016 ruling by an international arbitration tribunal acknowledged that China infringed on the traditional fishing rights of Philippine fishermen.

China's foreign ministry said on Monday that the areas have been "China's territory", and that the country has "indisputable sovereignty" over them.