President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday his government will remove a US missile system from the Philippines if Beijing ends its "aggressive and coercive behavior" in the contested South China Sea and ceases claiming Filipino territory.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has offered to remove a U.S. missile system from the Philippines if China halts what he called its “aggressive and coercive behavior” in the disputed South China Sea.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday challenged China to stop its 'aggressive and coercive behavior' and its claiming of territory in the West Philippine Sea and said he would return a Typhon missile system to the United States.

Philippine security officials said Thursday they took into custody five more Chinese spies, following the arrest of a compatriot for espionage this month.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday challenged China to cease its "aggressive and coercive actions" against Filipino fishermen and Philippines' sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, so he could consider sending back the Typhon missile sustem deployed by the United States.