Philippine defense chief says China sea dispute still a challenge

The territorial dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea remained a security challenge despite an improvement in bilateral ties, the Philippine defense chief said on Monday as he accepted three maritime surveillance planes from Japan. Delfin Lorenzana, in a speech at a naval base south of the capital Manila, said the three Japanese donated second-hand TC90 planes will definitely boost the navy's capability to gather intelligence in the disputed South China Sea. "We must admit that much still has to be done to boost our military capability equipment in order to meet a number of persistent maritime security challenges," Lorenzana said, identifying territorial disputes with China, and other countries, over resource-rich areas in the South China Sea.

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