Philippine president warns China against 'acts of war' amidst South China Sea standoff

SINGAPORE: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has warned China not to cross a red line in the South China Sea, saying If any Filipino died as a result of Beijing's wilful actions, Manila would consider it as close to "an act of war" and respond accordingly. Addressing the defence-and-security focused Shangri La Dialogue here on Friday night, Marcos sought to deepen defence cooperation with the US as he stands up to the Chinese military's aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
"We shall strengthen our alliances with the United States and our strategic partnerships with Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Brunei, and all the other member states of ASEAN. We will also pursue more robust collaborations with countries such as the Republic of Korea, India amongst others," Marcos said.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam claim parts of it.
Marcos said the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries had a vision for "peace, stability, and prosperity" in the South China Sea, but that this was being undermined by other actors.

"Unfortunately, this vision remains for now a distant reality. Illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions continue to violate our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction," Marcos said.
"If a Filipino citizen was killed by a wilful act, that is very close to what we define as an act of war," he said.
"We would have crossed the Rubicon. Is that a red line? Almost certainly," he asserted.
China's determining influence over the security situation and the economic evolution of this region is a permanent fact, he said.

"At the same time, the stabilising presence of the United States is crucial to regional peace. It's never a choice. Both countries are important," he underscored.
Marcos pointed out that security in the South China Sea, through which a huge volume of trade passes, is a global issue.
Marcos said tensions between the US and China were destabilising for Southeast Asia, calling on Washington and Beijing to work harder to resolve disputes.
"Their rivalry is constraining the strategic choices of regional states. Their contest is exacerbating