2023-12-19 08:14:24
(Archyde.com, Manila, 19th) As diplomatic efforts towards China in dealing with the South China Sea issue are “going in an unfavorable direction”, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that it may be time to “change our thinking” .
Marcos recently attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Memorial Summit held in Tokyo, Japan. According to information released by the Philippine Presidential Palace, Marcos was interviewed by Japanese media on the 16th, and part of the content was shared with Philippine media yesterday.
He said in the interview that traditional diplomatic efforts have been ignored by China.
“So far, we have used many traditional diplomatic methods… Even though we have been doing this for many years, we have made very little progress,” he said.
“Countries that consider themselves involved in the current situation should unite and change their thinking,” he said while reiterating the Philippines’ desire to avoid violent conflict.
He added that the Philippine government will continue to engage in dialogue with partners and come up with a common position clarifying their relevant responsibilities in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines calls the part of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone the West Philippine Sea.
Manila and Beijing blamed each other following a collision between Philippine and Chinese ships last week near a disputed area of the South China Sea, as tensions over sovereignty in the crucial waterway continued to rise.
In addition to the Philippines, ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims with China in parts of the South China Sea, and more than US$3 trillion in shipping trade passes through this waterway every year.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) stated in 2016 that China’s sovereignty claims had no legal basis. The United States supported the arbitration, but China refused to accept it. Central News Agency (translation)
The South China Sea issue is difficult to resolve. Philippine President says it is time to change the way we deal with China.
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