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.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.
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theFu
Military planners everywhere are constantly thinking up different scenarios of foreign attacks. Every military in the region will rightly be thinking up 500 different ways that China may attack their interests. Inside China, they are thinking up 500 ways for each neighboring country to attack them. That's what military planners do.
So, of course China has plans to use hypersonic missiles to attack The Philippines. A similar scenario exists to attack Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, NK, SK, and US bases in the region. That's what military planners do.
nandakandamanda
From China's perspective, where the Philippines has been 'the aggressor'! Ha ha ha!
Quote: China's aircraft carrier Shandong was recently spotted sailing near the Philippines in a move media said serves as a deterrence against continuous Philippine provocations on Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
(China's aircraft carrier Shandong spotted near Philippines amid tensions - Global Times)
deanzaZZR
Eh, Bong Bong's sister is a senator? Imagine that!
TaiwanIsNotChina
I hope the Philippines got a right to resupply their ship and fish in the area from this "deal".
theFu
Time for the Philippines to help ground that "monster" Chinese coast guard ship in their waters, forever. I'm thinking 6 huge holes under the waterline would do it.