US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila and condemned Beijing for its "dangerous and destabilising" actions in the Sea, in his first phone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo.

The Philippines will soon decide on an international platform to sue China for alleged damage to the marine environment, its justice minister said, as it pursues a second high-profile legal challenge against Beijing over the South China Sea.

The Philippine government launched a comic book Friday asserting its claims in the disputed South China Sea, amid rising tensions with Beijing over the strategic waterway. China claims most of the South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling it without basis,

The Philippines has released a comic book titled 'The Stories of Teacher Jun' to counter China's disinformation about territorial claims in the South China Sea. It uses simple narratives to educate on the disputes and asserts the Philippine position.

The United States is not a party to the issue of the South China Sea and has no right to interfere in maritime issues between China and the Philippines, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday after Washington and Manila made unwarranted remarks against Beijing.

Beijing and Manila have agreed to continue talks on settling their territorial differences despite Philippine protests about the presence of a Chinese "monster ship" near the contested Scarborough Shoal.

Officials from the Philippines and China have held talks on the disputed South China Sea. Manila expressed "serious concern" over Beijing's deployment of its largest coast guard ship in Philippine waters.