He met Xi in the Chinese capital early last month to boost relations and discuss the Asian neighbors’ long-seething territorial disputes in the strategic waterway that also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.Ĭhina claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety, putting it on a collision course with other Asian claimants and separately with Washington. Like his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos has taken steps to nurture friendly ties with Beijing. “We will work with our neighbors to secure the safety and security of our peoples,” Marcos said without elaborating. “We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our constitution and with international law.” “This country will not lose one inch of its territory,” Marcos said to applause.
Marcos spoke to reporters in the northern resort city of Baguio where he delivered a speech before cadets and former graduates of the Philippine Military Academy and repeated a vow to defend the country's territory amid a new territorial spat with China. Responding to a question, Marcos said he was concerned that activating the 1951 treaty would ratchet up regional tensions.
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