The Philippines-China maritime tussle just edged up a notch this past week, with Chinese television reporting a Chinese flag-planting operation in a tiny cluster of sand banks in the South China Sea known as Sandy Cay.

This development comes at a time when Philippine and US troops are conducting their annual military exercises, which include preparation for potential South China Sea conflicts

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and current President Marcos Jr’s differing South China Sea strategies reveal the intersection of domestic political rivalries and international security concerns.