US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke yesterday with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo about the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea as the two top diplomats exchanged ideas on how to reinforce bilateral cooperation in the coming year. “Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke today with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo about issues of mutual concern, including ongoing tensions in the South China Sea,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Lee-Brago, P. (2023, December 29). Phl, US discuss reinforcing cooperation. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 5.