(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines’ military chief said the country is seeking to develop its outposts in the South China Sea, and acquire more coastal defense assets amid lingering tensions with Beijing in contested waters. 

The plans cover Thitu and Nanshan islands, as well as seven other Philippine-occupied areas in the disputed sea, General Romeo Brawner Jr. said. More living quarters and communication equipment are being eyed, he added.

“We are making these features more habitable for our troops. We have marines in these areas,” Brawner told reporters Monday after a command conference with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The armed forces will also acquire more ships, aircraft and radars, its chief said.

The military is eyeing these upgrades as Marcos moves to assert Manila’s rights in the South China Sea, where Beijing lays sweeping claims. 

Defying China, the Philippines last year ramped up troop rotation and resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting warship that the Philippines deliberately grounded in 1999 to serve as its military outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. 

Marcos also told the military to gain international allies’ support as it continues to shift its focus from domestic security to territorial defense, according to Brawner. The armed forces will also form a team against cyber threats, the military chief added.

The Philippine military has also bolstered ties with US counterparts, holding earlier this month their second joint patrol in the South China Sea in less than two months amid heightened tensions.

(Adds more details from military chief throughout.)

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