A Philippines-US tag team against China would worsen tensions in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, after Washington committed to give Manila $500 million (P29.3 billion) in military aid. “The Philippines needs to see that ganging up with countries outside the region to engage in confrontation in the South China Sea will only destabilize the region ad create more tensions,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing in Beijing on Wednesday evening. He said Manila should focus on engaging in dialogue and consultation instead of allowing the United States to “interfere in the maritime issue.”

Ordoñez, J. V. D. (2024, August 2). China says Philippine-US tag team to worsen South China Sea tension. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.