Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday told World Economic Forum (WEF) President Børge Brende that he does not work for either China and United States because he “promotes the national interest” of the Philippines.
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Marcos made the comment during a dialogue with Brende in Davos, Switzerland where he was asked about the foreign policy of the Philippines.
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“I think most leaders and most strategists have a consensus that we should not fall back into that situation where countries should choose which side they would be on,” he said.
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“When asked which side are you on, I said I don’t work for Beijing, I don’t work for Washington D.C. I work for the Philippines. So I’m on the side of the Philippines and that really translates into a very simple statement of foreign policy which is that I promote the national interest,” he added.
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Marcos earlier said the Philippines and other countries in the Asia-Pacific are “facing pressure to take sides” due to “tension in the region” caused by geopolitical rivalry.
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While Marcos acknowledged that China and the US are among the largest trading partners of the Philippines, in terms of security, Marcos said he hopes to keep the agreement with the US.
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He noted that the Philippines is the superpower’s only treaty partner in Asia, and ties with the US have remained strong, but the relationship has to “evolve” to become stronger.
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“We are living within the context of all of these other forces coming out, especially in the region of the South China Sea. Again, to be able to respond properly, we have to evolve these relationships,” Marcos said.
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“In terms of cross strait tensions, we are at the very front line and whenever these tensions increase, the ships come out – the Chinese and their coast guard vessels and the Americans answer, we are watching as bystanders. If something goes wrong here, we are going to suffer,” he added. “That’s why, when asked ‘What is your foreign policy and how would you describe it,’ I say that it’s a commitment to peace and guided very, very closely by our national interests.”
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The one-on-one dialogue with the WEF President officially capped off Marcos’ first participation in the four-day forum in Davos.
