Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 31, 2024.
Nac Nguyen | AFP | Getty Images
If a Filipino national was killed in the South China Sea in an incident with the Chinese Coast Guard, it would almost certainly be a red line, according to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Marcos was delivering the keynote address at his Shangri-La speech in Singapore when he was asked whether a “red line” would be crossed if Chinese Coast Guard water cannons killed a Filipino sailor, and under what circumstances the US-Philippine mutual defense would be crossed. The treaty must be invoked.
The president said that if such an incident occurred through intentional action, he would “increase the level of response.” [by the Philippines]“And we are getting very close to what we call an act of war.”
“I think our treaty partners also hold to the same standard” regarding any joint action that would be taken to support any such incident in the Philippines, he added.
In late March, the Philippines accused a Chinese Coast Guard vessel of using its water cannon on a Filipino ship bound for Second Thomas Shoal, wounding three Filipino sailors. In response, the Chinese Coast Guard said it had taken the necessary measures Sizes Against Philippine ships invading its waters.
Earlier that month, The Chinese Coast Guard was accused of launching a water cannon attack As a result, four Filipino crew members were injured due to broken glass.
Manila deploys resupply missions to shallow waters to supply a small garrison of troops living aboard an old warship that was deliberately ran aground in 1999 to protect Manila’s maritime claims.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea as its waters, despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that said China’s claims had no basis under international law. China has refused to acknowledge this result.
In his keynote address, Marcos cited treaties including 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seaor the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which created a legal framework for all maritime and offshore activities.
UNCLOS also clarified the boundaries of each country’s maritime zones and determined the extent to which they could exercise sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over those zones, Marcos said. He noted that the Philippines has made “a conscious effort to align our definition of our territories and maritime areas with what is permitted and recognized by international law.”
“Our efforts stand in stark contrast to resolute measures aimed at spreading excessive and baseless allegations through force, intimidation and deception,” he said, though he did not mention China directly by name.
Marcos said that his country defends the integrity of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as a constitution for the oceans, adding that the country has defined its lands and maritime areas “in a manner befitting a responsible and law-abiding member of the international community.”
“We have subjected our assertions to rigorous legal scrutiny by the world’s leading jurists. So the lines we draw on our waters are drawn not just from our imagination, but from international law.”
He referred not only to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but to the 2016 ruling, saying it affirms what legally belongs to the Philippines.
Marcos said he would not allow the waters of the West Philippine Sea — the Philippines’ official designation of parts of the South China Sea in the country’s exclusive economic zone — to be separated from its maritime domain.
“As president, I have made this solemn commitment from the first day I took office, that I do not intend to give up. Filipinos do not give up,” he said.
However, Marcos said the Philippines remains committed to addressing and managing difficult issues through dialogue and diplomacy.
“We cannot afford any other future for the South China Sea than the one envisioned by ASEAN, which is a sea of peace, stability and prosperity,” he added.
He pointed out that the South China Sea represents a corridor for half of global trade, and described peace and stability in the region as a “global issue,” pointing out that “it is quite easy to see that the whole world is actually in charge of this matter.” We have become stakeholders in peace and stability in our region.”
Marcos believed that security and stability are of concern to all countries, and stressed that “the interests and responsibilities of all states and the community of nations must always be recognized.”
“All of our voices must be heard equally,” he said.
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