DAVOS, Switzerland – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned Wednesday that pressure within the disputed South China Sea “keeps him up at night”, however his nation was dedicated to peace regardless of Beijing’s territorial claims.
Speaking on the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Marcos mentioned his nation was watching as a “bystander” each time tensions rise after Chinese or US warships cross the area.
“If something goes wrong here we are going to suffer,” he mentioned.
The scenario “keeps you up at night, keeps you up in the day, keeps you up most of the time,” mentioned Marcos, who mentioned the problem with Chinese President Xi Jinping throughout a go to to Beijing earlier this month.
“It’s very dynamic, it is constantly in flux. So you have to pay attention to it to make sure that you are you are at least aware of the present situation so that you’re able to respond.”
China and the Philippines are at odds over the South China Sea, with Beijing claiming sovereignty over virtually your complete space regardless of a world court docket ruling that its claims don’t have any authorized foundation.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims to components of the ocean, and Manila ordered its army final month to spice up its presence after a report that China had began reclaiming a number of unoccupied land options across the Spratly Islands.
“We have no conflicting claims with China. What we have is China making claims on our territory, and that … is how we approach the problem,” Marcos mentioned.
But he mentioned his nation’s coverage was a “commitment to peace”.
China and the Philippines vowed to resolve maritime disagreements by way of “friendly consultation” throughout Marcos’ go to. — Agence France-Presse
