 "Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. File Image/Reuters")
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s interview with Firstpost , in which he warned that his country would inevitably be drawn into any conflict over Taiwan, has continued to reverberate across Asia, drawing sharp criticism from Beijing and fuelling debate over Manila’s security posture.
Speaking to Firstpost during his visit to India, Marcos said there was “no way that the Philippines can stay out of it” should tensions between China and Taiwan escalate into war, citing the country’s geographical proximity and the presence of about 200,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan.
“If there is a war over Taiwan, we will be drawn in, kicking and screaming, whether we like it or not,” he said, adding that preparations were necessary even though he hoped conflict could be avoided.
China reacted angrily, accusing Marcos of “playing with fire” and “interfering” in its internal affairs.
On Monday, Marcos said at a press briefing in Manila that his comments had been “misinterpreted” for “propaganda purposes”.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about, playing with fire? I was just stating facts. We do not want to go to war, but I think if there is a war over Taiwan, we will be drawn, we will be pulled in whether we like it or not, kicking and screaming,” Marcos said. “We will be drawn and dragged into that mess. I hope it doesn’t happen, but, if it does, we have to plan for it already.”
It’s the latest flare-up of long-simmering territorial disputes in the busy waterway, a key global trade route, where overlapping claims between China and the Philippines have escalated in recent years. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to parts of the contested waters.
Relations between China and the Philippines have been severely strained after Marcos, who took office in mid-2022, and his administration emerged as some of the most vocal critics in Asia of China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
The Marcos administration deepened its treaty alliance engagements with the United States and started broadening security alliances with other Western and Asian countries like Japan, Australia, India and some EU member states to strengthen deterrence against Beijing’s assertiveness.
On Monday, a Philippine vessel transporting provisions to Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal was sprayed at with a water cannon by a Chinese coast guard ship, the Philippine Coast Guard said. The vessel managed to evade being hit.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the president’s remarks.
Responding to the Monday incident, China’s coast guard said it had taken necessary measures to expel Philippine vessels from Scarborough Shoal, which China claims as its own territory.
It described the operation as “professional, standardised, legitimate and legal”.
A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal voided Beijing’s sweeping claims in the region, saying they had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects.
Marcos reaffirmed that his government would never retreat from defending its territorial sovereignty. “We will continue to be present, we will continue to defend our territory, and we will continue to exercise our sovereign rights, despite any opposition from anyone,” he said.
Since taking office in 2022, Marcos has emerged as one of Asia’s most vocal critics of China’s maritime assertiveness, while deepening military cooperation with the United States and forging closer security ties with Japan, Australia, India and European allies.
With inputs from agencies