Colonel Edgard Arevalo

China on Wednesday condemned the Philippines for doing repairs to a rusting ship it ran aground on a South China Sea reef, demanding Manila remove the vessel while adding that Beijing "reserved the right to take further measures".

The Philippines and Japan will hold their second joint naval drills this year, the Filipino military said today, as the World War II foes deepen security ties while China aggressively develops islands in disputed waters.

China on Wednesday condemned the Philippines for doing repairs to a rusting ship it ran aground on a South China Sea reef, demanding Manila remove the vessel while adding that Beijing "reserved the right to take further measures".

The Philippines and Japan will hold their second joint naval drills this year, the Filipino military said today, as the World War II foes deepen security ties while China aggressively develops islands in disputed waters.