US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila and condemned Beijing for its "dangerous and destabilising" actions in the Sea, in his first phone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo.

The Philippine government launched a comic book Friday asserting its claims in the disputed South China Sea, amid rising tensions with Beijing over the strategic waterway. China claims most of the South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling it without basis,

The Philippines will soon decide on an international platform to sue China for alleged damage to the marine environment, its justice minister said, as it pursues a second high-profile legal challenge against Beijing over the South China Sea.