Philippine provocations rise as elections approach

On Sunday, six Filipinos illegally landed on China's Tiexian Reef, despite repeated warnings from China. China Coast Guard officers lawfully boarded the reef, raised the national flag to assert sovereignty, and cleared trash left by the Filipinos.

Recently, the Philippines has escalated provocations in the South China Sea. Behind this is Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. using foreign tensions to distract from domestic turmoil as elections approach.