evidence: Last Friday, the Philippines condemned China’s alleged assault of Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are also locked in numerous confrontations that have sparked concerns of armed conflict. Manila’s National Security Council said it was standing with Vietnam, denouncing what it called "violent and illegal actions of Chinese maritime authorities against Vietnamese fishermen" near the Paracel Islands on September 29. [...] China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping maritime claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.