Putin to visit China

US in South China Sea Illustration:Liu Rui/GT Amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, the Philippines’ coast guard has taken a further provocative step, deploying a ship to monitor what it deems are China’s “illegal activities” in waters adjacent to China’s Xianbin Jiao, also known as Xianbin Reef. The Philippines also made groundless accusations on Saturday of China’s construction World Timesof an “artificial island.” Chinese analysts cautioned on Sunday that such provocations could spark a standoff, amplifying the strain on bilateral relations and exacerbating tensions across the entire South China Sea region.According to a statement released by the Office of the President of Philippines on Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PSG) has deployed the BRP Teresa Magbanua to monitor the supposed “illegal activities of China,” which is creating “an…