Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated that he would not provoke China into a war following reports that the Chinese military landed long-range bombers on an airstrip in the disputed South China Sea. Facing criticism over his apparent inaction on China’s increased military activity in the South China Sea, Duterte questioned where his country would end up should war break out in the region. Duterte said there was no assurance that the US would remain on the side of the Southeast Asian nation if war broke out. A more feasible solution would be to forge a joint exploration pact with China to harness the disputed sea’s potential, he said.