Marcos says Philippines to uphold South China Sea ruling

A Chinese coast guard ship (left) shadowing a Philippine coast guard vessel in the South China Sea on March 2, 2022. - AP

MANILA (AFP): Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Thursday (May 26) he would uphold an international ruling against Beijing over the disputed South China Sea, insisting he would not let China trample on Manila's maritime rights.

China claims almost all of the resource-rich waterway, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, with competing claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.