The Philippine military has publicly rejected Beijing’s claims that the Philippines staged a cyanide stunt near a disputed reef in the South China Sea. Filipino officials instead accused Chinese fishermen of using cyanide around a grounded warship outpost.

The Philippine military on Tuesday rejected Beijing’s claim that Manila had staged a “cyanide stunt” near a contested reef in the South China Sea, after Filipino officials accused Chinese fishermen of using cyanide around a grounded warship that serves as a military outpost. “We reject any statement that this is fabricated news,” said Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. At the centre of the dispute is the BRP Sierra Madre, a derelict navy....