U.S. and Philippine fighter aircraft staged a joint patrol and training Tuesday over a disputed South China Sea shoal where Chinese fighter jets fired flares last year to drive away a Philippine aircraft,

The air forces of the Philippines and the US held joint patrols over the South China Sea on Tuesday (Feb 4), a move that angered China, which also conducted a "routine patrol" over a disputed shoal. The Philippines and the US have ramped up security arrangements under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Earlier, Chinese naval vessels attracted Manila’s ire as they crossed Basilan Strait on the way to distant-sea training exercise.

The Philippines has launched a comic book to counter what the country says is China’s disinformation campaign to push its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea