MORE and more countries are supporting and backing the Philippines in the South China Sea. From six countries interested in having their navies carry out joint patrols with the Philippines in the tension-shrouded disputed Sea. The United States, Japan, and Australia have already been pushing for joint sail missions with the Philippines in the disputed waterway. In addition, Malaysia, France, India, Canada, Germany, and Singapore were also keen on the idea.
With China aggressively asserting its claims on the South China Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines spent his first year on the job beefing up Manila’s alliance with its oldest ally, the United States. Now he is shoring up support from a wider and new network of partners.
The Philippines President says escalating tensions in the South China Sea are not only a regional issue, but a global one. Adding a new intensity to his muscular foreign policy at a critical moment in his country’s territorial dispute with Beijing. Maritime clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels have become more frequent in recent months.
In January, Mr. Marcos and the leaders of Vietnam, another country fighting off Chinese claims to the crucial waterway, pledged closer cooperation between their coast guards. This month, Mr. Marcos clinched a maritime cooperation deal with Australia. And this past week, he took his pitch to Europe.
It has to be recognized that the South China Sea handles 60 percent of the trade of the entire world. So, it’s not solely the interest of the Philippines, or of ASEAN, or of the Indo-Pacific region, but the entire world,” Mr. Marcos said earlier this month in Berlin, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Standing alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Mr. Marcos, the first Philippine president to visit Germany in a decade, added, that is why it’s in all nations interest to keep it as a safe passage for all international commerce that goes on in the South China Sea.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. underscored the importance for like-minded countries to present a united front against any unilateral attempts to take territory from any other country, during his bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
This comes after their discussion on latest developments in the South China Sea and Ukraine. President Scholz reiterated the need to adhere to international law particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea and ensuring freedom of navigation.
President Marcos acknowledged Germany’s assistance in securing the country’s maritime domain, including through capacity-building of the Philippine Coast Guard and trainings of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
For his part, Scholz assured President Marcos of Germany’s continued support and their commitment to increase maritime cooperation with the Philippines including other cooperative endeavors between the two countries. Germany is willing to increase supports to the Philippines, and all the other cooperation to secure safe and free Indo-pacific.
The meeting between President Marcos and Scholz coincided with the 70th anniversary of Philippines-Germany diplomatic relations, which was formally established on October 8, 1954.
This flurry of diplomacy, analysts said, might ultimately help to deter China. But they also acknowledged that Beijing was going to continue doubling down on its territorial claims, increasing the risks of a conflict that could ultimately draw in the United States, the Philippines’ oldest treaty ally. Washington has repeatedly condemned Beijing’s actions and has vowed to come to the aid of Manila in the event of an armed conflict.
The foreign policy strategy adopted by Mr. Marcos, who took office in June 2022, is almost the opposite of the approach of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. While Mr. Duterte spurned the West and courted China, Mr. Marcos has revived and cemented ties with traditional security partners like the United States and Japan. He has also cultivated new relations with the likes of Sweden and France, and his government has pushed for arms deals and military drills.
Tensions flared again this month when Chinese boats blocked the Philippine vessels off the Second Thomas Shoal, a contested reef 120 miles off the coast of the western province of Palawan. The confrontation culminated in Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels colliding. Mr. Marcos told reporters then there was no reason yet to invoke the mutual defense treaty with the United States.
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With China aggressively asserting its claims on the South China Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines spent his first year on the job beefing up Manila’s alliance with its oldest ally, the United States. Now he is shoring up support from a wider and new network of partners.
The Philippines President says escalating tensions in the South China Sea are not only a regional issue, but a global one. Adding a new intensity to his muscular foreign policy at a critical moment in his country’s territorial dispute with Beijing. Maritime clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels have become more frequent in recent months.
In January, Mr. Marcos and the leaders of Vietnam, another country fighting off Chinese claims to the crucial waterway, pledged closer cooperation between their coast guards. This month, Mr. Marcos clinched a maritime cooperation deal with Australia. And this past week, he took his pitch to Europe.
It has to be recognized that the South China Sea handles 60 percent of the trade of the entire world. So, it’s not solely the interest of the Philippines, or of ASEAN, or of the Indo-Pacific region, but the entire world,” Mr. Marcos said earlier this month in Berlin, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Standing alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Mr. Marcos, the first Philippine president to visit Germany in a decade, added, that is why it’s in all nations interest to keep it as a safe passage for all international commerce that goes on in the South China Sea.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. underscored the importance for like-minded countries to present a united front against any unilateral attempts to take territory from any other country, during his bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
This comes after their discussion on latest developments in the South China Sea and Ukraine. President Scholz reiterated the need to adhere to international law particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea and ensuring freedom of navigation.
President Marcos acknowledged Germany’s assistance in securing the country’s maritime domain, including through capacity-building of the Philippine Coast Guard and trainings of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
For his part, Scholz assured President Marcos of Germany’s continued support and their commitment to increase maritime cooperation with the Philippines including other cooperative endeavors between the two countries. Germany is willing to increase supports to the Philippines, and all the other cooperation to secure safe and free Indo-pacific.
The meeting between President Marcos and Scholz coincided with the 70th anniversary of Philippines-Germany diplomatic relations, which was formally established on October 8, 1954.
This flurry of diplomacy, analysts said, might ultimately help to deter China. But they also acknowledged that Beijing was going to continue doubling down on its territorial claims, increasing the risks of a conflict that could ultimately draw in the United States, the Philippines’ oldest treaty ally. Washington has repeatedly condemned Beijing’s actions and has vowed to come to the aid of Manila in the event of an armed conflict.
The foreign policy strategy adopted by Mr. Marcos, who took office in June 2022, is almost the opposite of the approach of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. While Mr. Duterte spurned the West and courted China, Mr. Marcos has revived and cemented ties with traditional security partners like the United States and Japan. He has also cultivated new relations with the likes of Sweden and France, and his government has pushed for arms deals and military drills.
Tensions flared again this month when Chinese boats blocked the Philippine vessels off the Second Thomas Shoal, a contested reef 120 miles off the coast of the western province of Palawan. The confrontation culminated in Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels colliding. Mr. Marcos told reporters then there was no reason yet to invoke the mutual defense treaty with the United States.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @aseananalytics