Ayungin Shoal

The recording, released this week by the Chinese embassy in Manila, purports to lay out a "new model" for managing tensions at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says that he is "horrified" by the prospect that his predecessor brokered a "gentleman's agreement" with Beijing over the maritime disputes.

The U.S. president is set to deliver the warning at this week's trilateral summit with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines.

The Philippine leader said that the meeting will address closer maritime cooperation between the U.S., the Philippines, and Japan.

The reported collision came as the maritime disputes dominated discussions at a regional summit in Australia.

The condemnation came after the Philippine Coast Guard reported another incident in the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal on January 12.

The dueling patrols, which were scheduled to take place on January 3-4, encapsulate the intensifying frictions in the waterway.

In two separate incidents over the weekend, Chinese vessels collided with and used water cannons against Philippine ships in contested parts of the South China Sea.

The long-expected announcement comes at a time of growing tension in contested parts of the South China Sea.

The confrontation was just the latest Chinese attempt to prevent the resupply of Second Thomas Shoal, a Philippine-occupied feature in the Spratly Islands.

In this exclusive interview, Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea at the Philippine Coast Guard, discusses the current situation near Second Thomas Shoal.

China's campaign of escalation against the Philippine-held Second Thomas Shoal will only strengthen Manila's ties with supportive outside powers.