Need for alliances
PRESIDENT Marcas has acknowledged that the territorial dispute in the South China Sea (SCS) is the most complex geopolitical challenge that the world faces.
Speaking to newsmen in Japan last Saturday, the visiting Filipino Chief Executive said the Philippines will continue to adhere to peace and rules-based order.
But President Marcos was quick to emphasize that his government will continue to forge strong alliances with allies and friends to maintain regional stability.
We share his view that no country in the world wants to start a new conflict, especially in Asia, amid the raging war between Russia and Ukraine.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to say…that tensions have increased rather than diminished for the past months or the past years,” said President Marcos.
The conflict involves the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea.
On various occasions, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ships used water cannons. lasers and dangerous maneuvers to scare off Philippine vessels.
Japan and Western nations, led by the United States, support the Permanent Court of Arbitral Ruling favoring Manila, but Beijing rejects the decision .
In the eyes of many countries, the Philippines is on the right track in fighting for its rights in the West Philippine Sea, which is part of the SCS.
