China adds ships in disputed sea, says Philippine top diplomat

Philppine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin. - PDI

MANILA (Bloomberg): China has added 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 Chinese vessels in the contested waters increased 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 (May 12).