MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Tuesday that the country will not send its navy to support Filipino fishers in a contested shoal in the South China Sea despite a recent incident with Chinese vessels.

With tensions in the South China Sea showing no signs of abating, countries with claims in the disputed waterway are seeking whatever means they can to stay ahead of the competition, including conducting joint exercises and forming deeper alliances.

Diplomats and representatives from the militaries and coast guards of the United States, Japan and the Philippines had a maritime dialogue against a backdrop of clashes involving Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea.

The United States has deployed a reconnaissance aircraft while Japan and the Philippines sent navy ships in a joint patrol in the disputed South China Sea two days after the allied forces condemned actions by Chinese coast guard vessels against Philippine patrol ships.

A U.S. destroyer performed a freedom of navigation operation in the Spratly Islands on Friday, U.S. 7th Fleet announced. USS Preble (DDG-88) sailed within 12 nautical miles of Swallow Reef, a Navy official told USNI News.

The confrontations at Scarborough and Sabina shoals indicate that Beijing has no intention of easing off on its pressure campaign in disputed waters.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his nation won’t deploy Navy warships to the South China Sea in response to recent clashes with Beijing in disputed waters.

President says such a move in response to clash with Chinese vessels in Scarborough Shoal will be provocative and seen as an escalation.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday thumbed down the deployment of Philippine Navy warships in the West Philippine Sea.