US Ally in Feud With China Makes Rare Gesture Backing Taiwan

News Snapshot:

China skewered Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Tuesday after he congratulated the victor in neighboring Taiwan's presidential election, which Beijing had warned was a choice between peace or war. "On behalf of the Filipino people, I congratulate President-elect Lai Ching-te on his election as Taiwan's next President," Marcos wrote on social media Monday. It was a rare comment on Taiwan politics from a high-ranking Philippine official and sure to rankle China. Manila-Beijing ties are already on shaky ground after a year of confrontations in the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the waterway, including areas lying within...