The United States Navy is open to the possibility of joint naval patrols with the Philippines in the waters claimed by China in the South China Sea, Reuters reported, citing US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg. “We do discuss that principle (joint patrols) with the Philippines and so I am not discarding that possibility,” Goldberg said. “But we are not going to make announcements about that beforehand because it is our view that we have every right under international law to exercise freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and we will continue to do so.”