Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday said that he had no choice but to defend his country’s territory in the South China Sea against what he called Chinese aggression and illegal actions in pursuit of Beijing’s own territorial claims.
“It is unfortunate that despite the clarity provided by international law, provocative, unilateral and illegal actions continue to infringe upon our sovereignty, our sovereign rights and jurisdictions,” Marcos told the Lowy Institute international policy think tank in Melbourne, Australia.
China claims sovereignty over virtually the entire South China Sea, which is one of the world’s most crucial waterways for shipping. That has put it at odds with Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, which also maintain claims to islands, reefs and undersea resources in the region.
Photo: AFP
Marcos, who is attending an ASEAN summit in Melbourne, said that standing up to China in the South China Sea was not a policy choice.
“We simply have no choice. We must defend the territory of the republic. That is a primordial duty of a leader,” Marcos said. “The territorial integrity of the Philippines cannot be threatened, and if threats are made, then we must defend against those threats.”
Earlier yesterday, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo urged regional neighbors to stand together more strongly in upholding the rule of law in the South China Sea, where China has constructed garrisons on several artificial islands in a bid to fortify its claims.
The Philippines has accused China of deploying coast guard ships and civilian vessels to block fishers’ access to reefs and corals and prevent the resupply of its troops.
Both Marcos and Manalo referred to the Philippines’ legal victory over China in a 2016 arbitration ruling in The Hague, Netherlands, that invalidated Beijing’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea. China did not accept the ruling.
“The shared stewardship of the seas and oceans in the region behooves us to unite in preserving the primacy of international law so we can ensure equitable and sustainable outcomes for all,” Manalo said. “It also calls for us to stand firmly together in opposing actions that contradict or are inconsistent with international law.”
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) announced A$286.5 million (US$186.9 million) in funding for ASEAN projects in areas including maritime security, amid tensions over China’s growing assertiveness and its disputed claims to the South China Sea.
“We face destabilizing, provocative and coercive actions including unsafe conduct at sea and in the air,” Wong said in a speech at the summit, without naming China.
“What happens in the South China Sea, in the Taiwan Strait, in the Mekong subregion, across the Indo-Pacific, affects us all,” she added.
Melbourne is hosting leaders and officials from the 10-member ASEAN for a summit from yesterday to tomorrow. ASEAN member Myanmar was excluded due to the ongoing conflict in the country.
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