Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said the volatile situation in the South China Sea often weighs on his mind, as heightened tensions in the area could have far-reaching effects.
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“It keeps you up at night, it keeps you up in the day, it keeps you up most of the time,” Marcos told World Economic Forum (WEF) President Børge Brende in a dialogue in Davos, Switzerland.
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“Just having the tensions increase in the region already has an effect on trade, on all of the exchanges that we have within ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), within the region, with China, with the United States,” he added.
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Marcos said while the issue only forms part of Philippine-China relations, it is an “unavoidable” topic between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping due to its impact on diplomatic ties, national security, and livelihood of Filipinos.
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Filipino fishermen have called on the government to take a tougher stance against the Chinese aggressions in the resource-rich waterway, where Manila and Beijing have overlapping claims. Fisherfolk group Pamalakaya said a lot of Filipinos are still unable to fish freely in Philippine waters due to the continued presence of Chinese maritime forces.
RELATED: Marcos: China won’t stop Filipinos from fishing in West PH Sea
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Still speaking at the WEF, Marcos asserted the Philippines has “no conflicting claims with China,” but rather it is “China making claims on our territory.”
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Despite Beijing’s insistence, Marcos reiterated his view that the issue should only be resolved through peaceful means. The solutions, he said, “are not going to be military.”
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“Some people say, even within the Philippines, that we should do more. I said what do you want to do, go to war? Nobody wants to go to war. We don’t, China doesn’t, the United States doesn’t,” the president said.
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