Philippines’ Imee Marcos unveils foreign policy, South China Sea stance at US forum

‘Do not make us choose between the US and China,’ warns Marcos as she presents seven-point plan, advocates engagement with Beijing

President’s sister also calls for US-Philippine defence pacts to be ‘re-examined’, expansion of new trade opportunities

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The Philippine Coast Guard during a maritime drill in the disputed South China Sea on September 3, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:18pm, 6 Oct 2022Updated: 7:59pm, 6 Oct 2022

Philippine Senator Imee Marcos last week presented a “seven-point plan” on her country’s foreign policy at a forum attended by US officials and envoys from various embassies, during which she made a strong statement: “Do not make us choose between the US and China.”

The sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr also called for two US-Philippine defence pacts to be “re-examined” and the expansion of new trade opportunities in the speech.

Imee is the latest Marcos family member to be involved in foreign affairs. Her cousin Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez is the Philippine ambassador to the US, while her mother, 93-year-old former first lady Imelda Marcos, continues to receive senior Chinese officials who fly into the country. Marcos Jnr last year said “China cannot find a greater champion than my mother in the Philippines”.

Philippine Senator Imee Marcos at the US forum. Photo: Facebook/Imee R Marcos

As head of the senate’s foreign relations committee, Marcos “specifically advocated a softer line on the maritime disputes” during her Washington trip, according to a source who attended the September 26 forum sponsored by the US-Philippine Society and Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia Forum.

Key areas of her seven-point plan included exploration of regional multilateral defence arrangements, expansion of new trade opportunities, deep-sea fishing access and cooperation under the 2022 Chips Act.

She also asked for “improvements in social protections and public safety nets” but praised the US Agency for International Development and US Public Health Service on disaster relief.

The last point in her plan was “engagement with China, including joint development, confidence-building measures, and a code of conduct in the South China Sea”.