Damage to Philippines vessel 'irresponsible' says Austin

STORY: Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told the press conference the job was to ensure that through building capacity and deterrence there were no situations where a Mutual Defense Treaty would be triggered.

China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.