Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11) — A senator on Tuesday said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries should work together to maintain peace and order in the region as tensions between superpowers United States and China may further escalate.
“Posibleng magbuo ng coalition of the unwilling dito sa ASEAN o Asia Pacific, countries who would like to help de-escalate, cool the tensions between the US and China,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros told CNN Philippines’ The Source. “Sana may proactive na effort on the part of as many of us smaller countries in this region as possible para sabihing ayaw talaga natin ng giyera dito.”
[Translation: It’s possible to form a coalition of the unwilling here in the ASEAN or Asia Pacific of countries who would like to help de-escalate, cool the tensions between the US and China. I hope smaller countries in this region have a more proactive effort to say that we don’t want war in the region.]
There are currently several issues between the US and China, like the establishment of the four new sites on top of the existing five Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) locations.
While Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has said this “would only lead to more tensions and less peace and stability in the region,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said he will not allow these sites to be used for offensive actions.
There are also rising tensions in Taiwan as Beijing conducted a three-day military drill around the country that it claims.
This was done following President Tsai Ing-wen’s return to her country after a meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
READ: PH urges US, China to ‘manage rivalry’ amid rising tensions in Taiwan
Hontiveros said forming the coalition with other small nations will prevent countries from getting stuck in the middle of the two superpowers.
Smaller countries should also implement actions that would prevent the US and China from going into war, and potentially requiring the other nations to take sides.
“The best we can do is to keep on communicating both to China and the US that we want a peaceful, if not, resolution of the conflict then at the very, very least status quo,” Hontiveros noted.
