(Bloomberg) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed “deliberate” countermeasures against “dangerous attacks” by Chinese ships in the South China Sea, and said he’s in talks with allies to help secure his country’s sovereignty.

Over the coming weeks, national government agencies would carry out countermeasures and the Philippines was in “constant” communication with allies and partners, Marcos said in a Facebook post on Thursday. 

There shall be “a response and countermeasure package that is proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable in the face of the open, unabating, and illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks by agents of the China Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia,” Marcos said.

“We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience,” he added.

Marcos didn’t specify the measures but it signals an escalation as tensions between Manila and Beijing continued over the weekend after Chinese coast guard ships blasted water cannons at a Philippine supply boat in the disputed waters. Three Filipinos were injured in the latest confrontation, Manila said.

While the use of water cannons is unlikely to draw the US and other allies into direct conflict, it skirts closer to the boundary of what may be considered an “armed attack,” which would compel Washington to come to the Philippines’ aid. 

China’s Water Cannons Test US-Philippines Pact in Sea Feud (1)

Marcos said he was speaking with allies and partners who have offered help on what the country requires to protect its sovereignty while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. 

“I have given them our requirements and we have been assured that they will be addressed,” he said.

Marcos Warns on China Risks, Says He’s Not ‘Poking the Bear’

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, and has accused Philippine vessels of illegally trespassing on its waters. Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said Beijing opposes “foreign interference” on the maritime dispute.

“We are fully prepared for any emergency, and will resolutely safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” Wu said in comments shared by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Thursday.

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