(UPDATE) THE Sangguniang Bayan of Kalayaan in the province of Palawan adopted a resolution on Aug. 3, 2023 declaring Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian as persona non grata. The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. Beijing claims "indisputable sovereignty" over almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within it. Philippine maritime authorities have accused Chinese vessels of harassing Filipino fishers in the vicinity. Relations were strained in December when Manila expressed "great concern" about the presence of Chinese vessels in the contested body of water.

Source: Manila Times August 19, 2023 22:13 UTC