Marcos: Philippines ‘trying everything’ to lower tensions with China

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said his government is doing “everything” to de-escalate tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea. 

“We are trying everything. We still continue to talk at a ministerial level, at a sub-ministerial level, at a people-to-people level,” Marcos said. 

“Lahat ng maaari nating gawin, ginagawa natin para makausap ang Chinese leadership, makausap sila na ‘wag na natin masyadong papainitin pa at mag-uusap tayo nang mabuti para walang banggaan, walang water cannon,” he added.

(We are doing everything we can to communicate with the Chinese leadership, to tell them that let’s not escalate the situation and we will talk properly so there will be no collision, no water cannon.) 

Relations between Manila and Beijing have deteriorated under Marcos as he improves ties with the United States and pushes back against China’s attacks against Filipino troops.

Marcos earlier said in March that the Philippines will implement countermeasures against "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks" by the China Coast Guard and the Chinese maritime militia. 

He also said the country will not be “cowed into silence, submission or subservience.”

Asked if the joint drills between the Philippines, United States, Australia and Japan on Sunday could ease tension in the disputed waters, Marcos responded: “I sincerely hope so.”

The maritime activities took place before US President Joe Biden was due to host the first trilateral summit with Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 

China conducted “combat patrols” on the same day as the joint maritime drills. — Gaea Katreena Cabico