Philippines president orders de-escalation in South China Sea, military chief says

Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, May 31, 2024. /Edgar Su/File Photo

MANILA - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has instructed the armed forces to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea, Manila's military chief said on Thursday, in line with recent consultations held between Chinese and Filipino officials.

General Romeo Brawner told reporters that the military presented the president with several options on its operations in the South China Sea, including routine resupply missions to troops in a disputed shoal that have raised tensions with Beijing.

The Philippines and China, longstanding rivals in the strategic waterway, agreed on Tuesday for the need to "restore trust" and "rebuild confidence" following a high-level meeting.

The Philippines' armed forces will also coordinate with a senator who claimed to have knowledge of a Chinese plan to target her country with hypersonic missiles, Brawner said.

Senator Imee Marcos, the president's sister and head of the senate foreign relations committee, created a stir earlier this week with her video, posted on Tik Tok. She has provided no evidence for the claim.

- (Reuters)