Philippines president warns China against 'acts of war' amidst South China Sea standoff

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has warned China not to cross a red line in the South China Sea, saying If any Filipino died as a result of Beijing’s wilful actions, Manila would consider it as close to "an act of war" and respond accordingly. Addressing the defence-and-security focused Shangri La Dialogue here on Friday night, Marcos sought to deepen defence cooperation with the US as he stands up to the Chinese military’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea. “We shall strengthen our alliances with the United States and our strategic partnerships with Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Brunei, and all…