Rebuffed by China, Philippines’ Marcos toughens line on contested waters

"Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was visiting a province outside the capital Manila lwhen his national security adviser urgently contacted him: China had installed a floating barrier in part of the sea claimed by the Philippines. Should it be removed?

Marcos’s ordered the Philippine coast guard to cut the 300-meter-long barrier. They brought its anchor back to Manila for a news conference, calling it a “souvenir.”... his resolve to push back against China has been hardening over the past 10 months, fueled by continuing Chinese harassment and several instances when Philippine attempts at de-escalation have been rebuffed by Beijing, according to more than a dozen Western, Philippine, and other Asian senior officials and diplomats.....Marcos administration have pursued a campaign to publicly expose Chinese incursions in this strategic part of the Pacific Ocean, which Filipinos call the West Philippine Sea. " WP