Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says his order to the military to reinforce areas in the South China Sea controlled by Manila is to maintain the geopolitical balance and has assured China no "offensive weapons" will be placed there.
Duterte said on Monday the Philippines wanted peace and friendship with China but his country needed to bolster what territory it had in the Spratly archipelago because "everybody's grabbing" islands and reefs in the disputed waterway.
The maverick former mayor set off alarm bells on Thursday, including in Beijing, when he said he had ordered troops to occupy uninhabited islets and shoals that the Philippines claims in the Spratly Islands.
Philippine defence and military officials later said plans were to upgrade existing facilities and not occupy new territories.
"I'd like to address myself to the Chinese government... I ordered the occupation of the 10 or nine islands that are just near our shores because there's a heightening of geopolitical issues and eventually maybe a violent low intensity war over here," he told a news conference on Monday.
He said the Philippines would not engage in any military build-up but indicated the US would seek to do so.
China claims most of the South China Sea through which about $US5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.
Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
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