Philippines' Marcos boosts maritime security as tension rises in South China Sea

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) of annual ship-borne commerce. PHOTO: REUTERS

MANILA (Reuters): Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered his government to strengthen its coordination on maritime security to confront "a range of serious challenges" to territorial integrity and peace, as a dispute with China escalates.

The order, signed on Monday and made public on Sunday, does not mention China but follows a series of bilateral maritime confrontations and mutual accusations over a disputed area of the South China Sea.