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 Philippines is stepping up efforts to strengthen its defence partnerships as tensions with China persist in the South China Sea. Manila is working to finalise defence agreements with Canada and New Zealand while also looking to expand joint military drills with the United States,

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.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Canada and the Philippines are in the final stages of negotiating a key defense pact that would allow their forces to hold larger military drills in the South China Sea, where Ottawa has rejected China’s “provocative and unlawful actions,” the Canadian ambassador to Manila said.