China Expands Fleet in Disputed Sea Despite Manila’s Protest
- Oil talks with China moving along, Philippines’ top envoy says
- Disagreements with U.S. on military pact resolved, Locsin says
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China has deployed more ships in a disputed area of the South China Sea even after the Philippines’ repeated protests, according to President Rodrigo Duterte’s top diplomat who’s pledged to take up the issue with his Chinese counterpart.
The Southeast Asian nation is considering another protest after Beijing increased the number of Chinese vessels in the contested waters to almost 300 from just over 200 in March, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said. “This is essential because you never let any incident pass,” he told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday.