China’s former deputy foreign minister Fu Ying said Beijing would not accept occupation of a World War II-era ship that Manila grounded in the area.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, discussed “coordination on addressing China’s destabilizing actions in the South China Sea” and increased economic cooperation in a meeting in Munich on Friday,

The Philippine foreign ministry said on Friday it was "concerned" over what it described as "unsafe manoeuvres" and the use of flares by a Chinese air force plane against an Australian Air Force aircraft in the South China Sea.

It's "absurd and extremely dangerous" for the Philippines to worsen the South China Sea issue with the deployment of the Typhon intermediate-range missile system by the United States in the country, a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.

China issue 'will play well' among voters as more candidates adopt maritime row as part of their platforms Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr's playing of the China card this week urging a sweeping victory for his Senate allies marks the first time a political leader in the country is using a foreign policy issue to win votes.

China accused Australia on Friday of deliberately provoking it with a maritime patrol in the disputed South China Sea this week, saying the latter was spreading "false narratives", though Australia maintained its action adhered to international law.

Australia said Thursday that a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares near an Australian air force plane patrolling the South China Sea, accusing Beijing of “unsafe” military conduct. Beijing swiftly hit back,