MANILA: The Philippines and the United States began a two-day joint patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday (Jan 3), the Philippine military said in a statement.
Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner said the second such joint military action marked a “significant leap” in Manila’s alliance with the US.
Tensions have been building in the South China Sea, where Philippines and China have traded blame over a spate of run-ins.
Last week, Beijing said it will not turn a blind eye to repeated “provocations and harassment” by the Philippines.
Chinese state media has also accused Manila of relying on US backing to continually antagonise China.