Manila’s armed forces chief said China’s ‘dangerous and offensive manoeuvres’ were putting lives at risk, after a Chinese navy vessel again cut in front of a Philippine ship in the disputed waterway.
Relations between Beijing and Manila keep getting worse as neither side is backing off its maritime claims or military activities in the South China Sea. While taking a tough stance abroad might yield political dividends at home, both sides urgently need to find a way to peacefully coexist.