US Ally Stands Its Ground Amid Tensions With China

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says his country will not be “cowed into silence” and has vowed to respond following recent clashes with Chinese forces in contested waters of the South China Sea. Marcos issued directives and received recommendations during meetings this week with the Philippine defense and national security leadership, he said in a social media post on Thursday. The Philippines leader said he was in “constant communication” with allies and partners who had offered to help Manila “secure our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.” Marcos pledged to roll out as…