Philippines to be 'relentless' in protecting interests in South China Sea, it says. The Philippines and China agreed to "restore trust" and "rebuild confidence" to manage maritime disputes during their ninth Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meeting in Manila. Despite recent aggressive actions by China's Coast Guard, the Philippines vowed to be relentless in protecting its interests. The two countries discussed measures to manage sea situations and explored potential cooperation between their coast guards. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions but maintained their respective positions on disputed areas, including the Second Thomas Shoal.