US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines during a call with his counterpart in Manila in the face of geopolitical tensions in South China Sea.

According to Philippine media reports, the US, the Philippines, Australia, and Japan held a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea on Wednesday. At the same time, Philippine media did not hesitate to hype the so-called Chinese "monster ship.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has offered to remove a U.S. missile system from the Philippines if China halts what he called its “aggressive and coercive behavior” in the disputed South China Sea.

China has conducted military patrols in the South China Sea while the Philippines was holding joint naval drills with the U.S., Japan and Australia, saying Manila is undermining Beijing's claims in the region.

It followed Tuesday’s PLA air patrol over the contested Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China. The Chinese military activities came after the Philippines and the United States held a joint patrol over the South China Sea on Tuesday,