Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that Chinese ships sailing into the Benham Rise is "no incursion", contradicting his defense minister who described their presence as "very concerning".

"They have no incursion because we have an agreement," said Duterte. "Some people are just blowing it up. We previously agreed. It was a research ship. We were advised of it way ahead."

He emphasized that the Philippines was set to enjoy billions of dollars in Chinese investments and grants, following his decision not to argue with China over another territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

"Let us not fight about ownership or sovereignty at this time because things are going great for my country," Duterte said.

Duterte's comments came after his defence secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, claimed on March 10 that Chinese surveillance ships had been seen in Benham Rise. 

"I have ordered the Navy that if they see this service ship this year, to start to accost them and drive them away," said Lorenzana.

Benham Rise is an underwater landmass 250 kilometers off the east coast of the biggest Philippi‍ne island, Luzon.

In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf approved the submission of the Philippines in 2009 with respect to the limits of its continental shelf in the Benham Rise region. 

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said this enables the Philippines to carry out exploration and development of natural resources in the area. "But it does not mean that the Philippines can take it as its own territory," said Geng, in response to Lorenzana's declaration.

Geng also stated that, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a coastal state's rights over the continental shelf do not affect the legal status of the superjacent waters or of the air space above those waters, nor do they affect foreign ships' navigational freedom in the coastal state's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on the high seas, or their innocent passage through the coastal state's territorial sea as supported by international law.

(With inputs from AFP)