Opinion | Whatever Marcos’ rhetoric, it suits Manila to be friendly with China and the US

The Philippine president’s uncompromising tone on the South China Sea is probably meant to reassure Western allies and the domestic audience

Economically and politically, however, China remains an important partner of the Philippines and a significant part of Marcos’ calculations

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Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) meets Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, in Manila on July 6. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:15am, 5 Aug 2022

More than a week before Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jnr announced his presidential candidacy last year, he declared that outgoing Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s policy of engaging China, although subject to criticism, “is the right way to go. Because whatever we do, we can’t go to war.”

At ensuing presidential debates, Marcos continued to underscore his commitment to a dialogue-based approach to the festering dispute around the South China Sea.

Following his election victory, however, he has taken a more strident stance on maritime territory.

Just weeks after his win, he said in May: “Our sovereignty is sacred and we will not compromise it in any way. We will not allow a single square millimetre of our maritime coastal … rights to be trampled upon.” And in his first State of the Nation Address last month, he took the same uncompromising tone.

In contrast to Duterte, who once called the 2016 tribunal ruling against Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea a piece of paper, Marcos has described the ruling as “very important” and a tool for Manila “to assert our territorial rights”.

Meanwhile, the new Philippine government has suspended three major Chinese-backed railway projects, openly fretting over financing issues.