Vietnam is poised to become only the second country in the region to acquire Indian-Russian BrahMos supersonic missiles.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday issued a strong rebuke of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s recent comments against the Communist Party of China (CPC) as he defended Philippine plans to acquire midrange missiles from the United States.

A workshop in Beijing heard that the country needs to boost its legal talent pool as Manila threatens action in the international courts.

The Philippines' defence minister on Tuesday justified the country's deployment of a U.S. medium-range missile system and plans to acquire its own, despite opposition from China, a longstanding rival in the South China Sea.

In its second safety advisory in 10 days, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines urged citizens to remain vigilant amid a surge in armed robberies, drug-facilitated thefts, currency exchange scams and other crimes.

The Philippines risks losing strategically and economically by oscillating between the United States and China— without securing lasting benefits from either.

The Philippine defence secretary rejected Chinese criticism of Manila's plans to acquire a US-built mid-range missile system, telling Beijing on Tuesday to stop its "saber rattling" and "interference" in internal affairs.

The Philippines said Monday it planned to acquire the US Typhon missile system as part of a push to secure its maritime interests, sparking warnings from China of a regional "arms race".

China urged the Philippines to "quickly pull out the Typhon missile system as publicly pledged, and stop going further down the wrong path."

China accused the Philippines on Friday of having "provoked trouble" in the South China Sea with U.S. backing, which Manila denied, as tensions between the two neighbours continue.

I ndia and the Philippines may be thousands of kilometres apart, but their shared maritime concerns, particularly China’s aggression, are bringing them closer than ever.