The Philippine foreign ministry said on Friday it was "concerned" over what it described as "unsafe manoeuvres" and the use of flares by a Chinese air force plane against an Australian Air Force aircraft in the South China Sea.

It's "absurd and extremely dangerous" for the Philippines to worsen the South China Sea issue with the deployment of the Typhon intermediate-range missile system by the United States in the country, a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.

China issue 'will play well' among voters as more candidates adopt maritime row as part of their platforms Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr's playing of the China card this week urging a sweeping victory for his Senate allies marks the first time a political leader in the country is using a foreign policy issue to win votes.