The Philippines will not deploy its own navy warships in the area to prevent provocation and escalation, Marcos said. The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea.

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 Philippines' foreign ministry said on Thursday it has filed a diplomatic protest against China over a Dec. 4 maritime incident in the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Thursday's

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.

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.

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