(Reuters) -The U.S. house committee on China has urged Washington to ensure funding for the Philippines to counter Beijing's "aggressive and destabilising actions" in the South China Sea, according to a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which warns cuts could threaten U.S. security interests. In the letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sought clarity on funding for the Philippine coast guard, noting the State Department had sought a dramatically reduced 2026 budget for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement that would "devastate" programmes to help its ally stand up to China.