SpaceWar.com reports: “The Philippines said Friday it had opened a coast guard post in the country’s far north to boost security following China’s ‘military build-up’ near Taiwan over the past two years.

The outpost ‘shall gather essential maritime data and intelligence, enabling the (Philippine Coast Guard) to respond effectively to threats such as illicit trade, trafficking, piracy, and foreign intrusions’, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement.

‘In 2022, the area around Itbayat witnessed a military build-up as China responded to political developments between Taiwan and the United States,’ Ano said, announcing the opening of the station on the Philippines’ northernmost inhabited island.

Itbayat is located around 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Taiwan’s south coast…”