Philippine President Fidel Ramos during the opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministers’ Meeting in Manila in 1996. File photo: AFP
Philippines’ Fidel Ramos sought Beijing ties but also showed South China Sea defiance
- Ramos, who died on Sunday at the age of 94, started a programme to modernise his country’s armed forces to better protect territories in disputed region while pursuing one-China policy
- During and after his tenure, former Philippine president’s public position on China shifted between acceptance and defiance
Philippine President Fidel Ramos during the opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministers’ Meeting in Manila in 1996. File photo: AFP
