The DFA pushes back after China’s envoy claims the Philippines agreed not to construct on the BRP Sierra Madre in a 2024 temporary deal

Territorial tensions have boiled over with the most dramatic clash in two years at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells the Philippines to immediately halt maritime provocations and stabilize bilateral relations after a violent collision near Ren’ai Jiao, warning against external meddling.

A Chinese coast guard vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine government fisheries vessel in Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, scoring an indirect hit, a Philippine Coast Guard official said on Thursday (July 23).

Caught between pressure from Beijing and ties with Washington, the Philippines sits at the sharp edge of superpower rivalry

China said it was not the aggressor in the episode, which was the latest flare-up in the South China Sea between the two countries.

The Philippine government strongly protested to China what it said was the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in an editorial video publicized by a Chinese state-owned media outlet and demanded it be taken down.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has condemned state-run China Daily’s release of “dehumanizing” and “racist” videos and editorial cartoons depicting Filipinos as monkeys in criticizing the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.