South China Sea disputes

Earlier this week, two Philippine vessels were damaged in the latest confrontation with China Coast Guard patrol boats in the South China Sea.

The incident near Chinese-occupied Scarborough Shoal caused damage to two vessels, the Philippine government said.

Earlier this month, a Chinese embassy spokesperson said that the two nations had reached a "common understanding" on the dispute.

The two sides say that the pact, first announced late last year, will create a foundation for enhanced defense cooperation.

This year's exercise, the 39th iteration since 1991, will be the first to take place outside the Philippines territorial waters.

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 current stand-off over the Philippine-occupied shoal is a microcosm of the broader security dilemma in the South China Sea.

The country's new Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept is part of a gradual reorientation from an internal to an external security focus.

The announcement of the joint South China Sea maneuvers is expected to be announced at a trilateral summit between the three nations next week.

Despite being repeatedly let down by its sole treaty ally, the Philippines has persisted in preserving its territorial claims and sovereign rights in the hotly-contested body of water.

Marcos' warning is the latest sign of the escalating disputes between China and the Philippines in the contested waters of the South China Sea.

The incident took place during the regular resupply of the Philippine outpost on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.