![China is testing the limits of U.S.-Philippines defense pact China is testing the limits of U.S.-Philippines defense pact](https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/107346209-17023619931702361990-32417292107-1080pnbcnews.jpg?v=1702361992&w=750&h=422&vtcrop=y)
China is testing the limits of U.S.-Philippines defense pact
An aerial photo shows a Philippine Navy ship grounded since 1999 to assert the country’s sovereignty over Second Thomas Shoal, a remote reef in the South China Sea also claimed by China. Jay Directo | Afp | Getty Images China has stepped up its aggression against the Philippines in the contested waters of the South…