MANILA — The Philippines is on the right track with its strategy in asserting its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, maritime security expert Ray Powell said Wednesday.

The Philippines has been consistent in publicizing China's aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea, which is part of its tactic of making Beijing accountable and upholding its territorial claim.

Chinese Coast Guard fires water cannon at PH supply vessel in South China Sea

Speaking on ANC, Powell said there are now "seeds being sown that could lead the Philippines to be able to start making gains over the long term."

That progress, he said, could put the Philippines "in a better negotiating position" as China would have "to start dealing with all of the reputational damage that it's incurring."

On Tuesday, the Philippines said China Coast Guard vessels caused two collisions with Philippine boats and water cannoned one of them, leaving four crew injured during a resupply mission in the South China Sea.

Manila summoned a Chinese representative over the incidents, which happened in waters around the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands where the countries have contesting maritime claims.

A Philippine government task force said in a statement that "China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia vessels harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission."

The China Coast Guard said it "took control measures" against Philippine ships' "illegal intrusion" in waters around the shoal.

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'REAL COSTS'

Powell urged the Philippines to further rally international support, noting that Manila is incurring "additional risk during this time."

"It's very laudable that the Philippines has bravely gone out and released all of these pictures and all of this evidence and refused to back down. And it's getting to the point where the international community really can't any longer pretend that it doesn't see," he said.

"It is highly incumbent upon us, the United States as the Philippines' treaty ally, as well as others to make sure that China understands that it's going to start incurring real costs if it continues to act like this," he added.

Philippines demands Chinese vessels leave Ayungin Shoal area

—with a report from Agence France-Presse