Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared that his country will not relinquish any of its territory, in the wake of recent tensions with China in the South China Sea. In a speech on Saturday, he stated that the nation will continue to uphold its territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with its constitution and international law.
The president’s remarks come after he summoned the Chinese ambassador to express his “serious concern” over the harassment of a Philippine Coast Guard vessel by the Chinese coastguard. The vessel was on a mission to resupply troops based in Second Thomas Shoal, which is known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines. It was reported that the Chinese vessel had used a “military-grade laser” against the Philippine Coast Guard ship, temporarily blinding its crew.
Marcos Jr also reminded the ambassador that such aggression and incursions into Philippine waters by Beijing’s coastguard, navy and maritime militia forces violated an agreement he struck with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. He further clarified that the laser-pointing incident was not sufficient provocation to invoke a mutual defence treaty with the United States, Manila’s longstanding military ally.
China has long claimed large swaths of the South China Sea as its official maritime territory, a region where about $3 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually. However, an international court ruling in 2016 found that China had no legal basis for its claims in the South China Sea. In response, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin accused the Philippines and the US of engaging in “pure political drama” in taking the South China Sea case to the international court of arbitration. He also said that China would not be intimidated by the US.
President Marcos Jr’s remarks demonstrate that his country is determined to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He has made it clear that Manila will not be intimidated by Beijing’s actions and will continue to uphold its rights in accordance with international law. The president has also stated that activating a mutual defence treaty with the US would be counterproductive and would only escalate tensions in the region.