Philippines advocates peace, forges strong ties amid growing WPS tensions

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will continue to advocate for peace and forge alliances with like-minded countries amid increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Saturday.

Marcos said in an interview with the Japanese media that a more assertive China poses a real challenge to its Asian neighbors, necessitating the exploration of "new solutions." Marcos is currently in Tokyo to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Japan Commemorative Summit.

"I'm afraid we'll have to be able to say that tensions have increased rather than diminished for the past months or the past years and that's why we have to—but we continue to counsel peace and continue communication between the different countries—everyone that is involved," Marcos was quoted as saying in a release issued by the Presidential Communications Office.

The president described the situation in the South China Sea as the "most complex geopolitical challenge that the world faces" and called the Russia-Ukraine war a "tragedy."

"I cannot say that we have found the answer yet. We are still trying to formulate that answer as we speak. And things are moving very quickly in many parts of the China Sea and so there are changes in terms of approaches, [the aggravations]," he said.

Tensions between the Philippines and China have escalated due to Beijing's increasingly aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea, including incidents such as ramming and firing water cannons at supply vessels.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, encompassing waters and islands close to its neighbors' shores. It has ignored an international tribunal ruling in 2016, which stated that its claims have no legal basis.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated under Marcos, who has sought to strengthen ties with the United States, a traditional ally of the Philippines, and push back against China's actions in the West Philippine Sea.

In contrast, his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte pursued a foreign policy shift toward China in exchange for investment pledges.

A draft of the summit's final statement, seen by the Agence France-Presse, indicated that Southeast Asian and Japanese leaders will agree to boost "maritime security cooperation" against the backdrop of the growing tensions in the region.

Marcos also described the increasing collaboration between the Philippines and Japan as a "very good example of evolution."

Tokyo last month agreed to help Manila buy coastguard vessels to supply a radar system. — with a report from Agence France-Presse