Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos condemned the “increasing frequency and intensity” of China s maritime aggression following a laser incident that underscores the security fears driving a new alignment of U.S. and allied democracies in the Indo-Pacific.
On Monday, the Philippine coastguard accused a Chinese coastguard vessel of shining a "military-grade laser light" at one of its boats in the South China Sea.
The announcement by the Philippines and the United States about the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with four new locations to be added to the current five sites and the conduct of joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea reverberated so well worldwide, with 90 percent of Filipinos welcoming this latest development in the relationship between two longtime allies.