The United States and the Philippines discussed opportunities to strengthen their alliance as the administration of President Joe Biden reaffirmed its recognition of the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea, which it called “final and legally binding on all parties.”

The US on Saturday scored China for passing a new law that allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, accusing it of putting "unacceptable pressure" on countries with claims in the South China Sea.

China continues to install structures on Philippine-claimed Mischief or Panganiban Reef in the South China Sea while the rest of the world battles the coronavirus pandemic.

Andrew Erickson, a professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College, wrote that China fielded more battle force ships than the US Navy sometime between 2015 and 2020.