An Australian married couple on holiday in the Philippines have been found dead at a luxury hotel.
Security expert Lincoln Parker discusses a clash between the Filipino Navy and the Chinese Coast Guard.
“The Chinese have been doing this, as we have seen, over the last few years, and they are ramping it up,” Mr Parker said.
“What they are doing is escalating tensions in a big way, and it looks like they are actually pushing for war, and I don’t think the United States and certainly Australia is prepared for that.”
It is believed the couple were holidaying at The Lake Hotel at Tagaytay in the province of Cavite, southwest of the capital of Manila.
A third person, who is understood to be a companion, was also found dead.
Radio 2GB broke the news on Thursday as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was aware of the deaths and was providing consular assistance to those affected, according to The Daily Mail.
It is not yet known what the circumstances of the deaths are, or the identities of the Australians concerned.
More to come.