(AFP)US and Philippine marines stormed a beach near a disputed rocky outcrop in the South China Sea on Friday as part of joint military drills involving more than 3,500 troops. Duterte had threatened to cancel drills and axe a key military deal with the United States as he pivoted towards China. China's recent war games around Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory, rang alarm bells among nations surrounding the South China Sea. During aerial surveillance over Scarborough Shoal on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard spotted six Chinese vessels, including four coast guard and two militia boats, in and around the small ring of reefs. "We are doing the patrol operations to establish a presence at the area and also for the sake of our fishermen," said coast guard spokesperson Armand Balilo.

Source: The Standard October 07, 2022 19:40 UTC