The protest stems from the presence of two coast guard vessels on Jan. 5 and Jan. 10 in and around the disputed Scarborough shoal

LANGKAWI, Malaysia (Reuters) - The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny "milestone issues", including its scope and if it can be legally binding, the Philippines' top diplomat said on Saturday.

Growing tensions between China and the Philippines in the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea are reaching a boiling point, Manila officials say.

The Philippines has accused a giant Chinese coast guard vessel it dubbed as the “Monster” of maintaining an “illegal presence” in its exclusive economic zone as Beijing ramps up activities in the disputed South China Sea.

Beijing and Manila have agreed to continue talks on settling their territorial differences despite Philippine protests about the presence of a Chinese "monster ship" near the contested Scarborough Shoal.

The Philippines and China agreed to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their disagreements in the South China Sea, their foreign ministries said on Thursday, as heated rows persist over vessels deployed around disputed features.

China Coast Guard vessel 5901 or Beijing's "monster ship" is still "operating unlawfully at a distance of 60-70 nautical miles from Philippines territory", the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Saturday,

The world's largest coast guard vessel, China Coast Guard 5901, is maintaining its presence off Zambales province in the West Philippine Sea despite Manila's calls for Beijing to withdraw the ship.