Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Tuesday that the country will not send its navy to support Filipino fishers in a contested shoal in the South China Sea despite a recent incident with Chinese vessels.

Diplomats and representatives from the militaries and coast guards of the United States, Japan and the Philippines had a maritime dialogue against a backdrop of clashes involving Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea.

The confrontations at Scarborough and Sabina shoals indicate that Beijing has no intention of easing off on its pressure campaign in disputed waters.

China and the Philippines gave conflicting versions on Wednesday of a maritime confrontation around a contested shoal in the South China Sea, the latest row in a longstanding dispute between the neighbours.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his nation won’t deploy Navy warships to the South China Sea in response to recent clashes with Beijing in disputed waters.

President says such a move in response to clash with Chinese vessels in Scarborough Shoal will be provocative and seen as an escalation.

The Warthog, which was originally designed for close air support of ground forces, also has maritime combat capabilities.

With tensions in the South China Sea showing no signs of abating, countries with claims in the disputed waterway are seeking whatever means they can to stay ahead of the competition, including conducting joint exercises and forming deeper alliances.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday thumbed down the deployment of Philippine Navy warships in the West Philippine Sea.