Philippines' Marcos slams illegal actions in South China Sea

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Friday (May 31) denounced illegal, coercive and aggressive actions being taken in the South China Sea, a disputed ocean territory that China has been flooding with coastguard ships in recent months.

Speaking at the opening of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore, he also said that the presence of the United States was “crucial to regional peace” in South-east Asia, as his country faces growing Chinese pressure in waters off its coastline.

Marcos noted that the Philippines and other South-east Asian countries had a vision for “peace, stability, and prosperity” in the South China Sea, but that this was being undermined by other actors, without naming China.

With the Philippines and China locked in a standoff over disputed islands and reefs, Marcos used his speech in Singapore to call out “assertive actions that aim to propagate excessive and baseless claims through force, intimidation, and deception”. 

“The lines we draw on our waters are derived not from imagination, but from international law,” the Philippine leader added, citing backing from a UN tribunal for Manila’s claims. “I do not intend to yield. Filipinos do not yield.” China has rejected the Philippines claims and the tribunal’s ruling.

As Marcos spoke, it was not immediately clear if China’s defence minister, Dong Jun, had taken his seat at a head table in the audience. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was present, scheduled to take a seat between Marcos and Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto. 

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Since taking office two years ago, Marcos has adopted a more assertive approach toward defending its claims, prompting clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels at places like Second Thomas Shoal.

In a move that took some allies by surprise, Marcos has also tightly embraced his nation’s decades-old military partnership with the US, opening up new military facilities to American personnel, expanding joint military exercises and improving ties with US allies like Japan and Australia. 

After years in which Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte distanced the Philippines from the US in a bid to win more support from China, the shift has been welcomed by the Biden administration.

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US, China defence chiefs lock horns on Taiwan at Asia security summit

The Philippines is in a strategic spot as it is near two potential flash points: Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Encounters between the Philippines and China in Asia’s most contested waters have grown more tense and frequent during the past year as Beijing presses its claims to shoals in waters that Manila says are well within its exclusive economic zone.

China’s coast guard has stepped up so-called “grey-zone” activities such as use of water cannons, collisions and ramming tactics to try to stop Philippine resupply and patrol missions. It has also deployed fishing boats that the Philippines and its allies consider militia.

Marcos called security in the South China Sea, through which a huge volume of trade passes, a global issue. Later, a reporter asked Marcos whether China would be crossing a “red line” if one of its coast guard ships killed a Filipino with water cannons.

“If a Filipino citizen was killed by a wilful act, that is very close to what we define as an act of war,” Marcos replied. “We would have crossed the Rubicon. Is that a red line? Almost certainly.”