This is after Chinese vessels threatened Filipino vessels in a disputed area of the South China Sea following a ruling by the International Tribunal that came out to support the Philippine government.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, Marcos said two things concerning Asia’s role: that the region remains a priority for the US and that its security is inextricably tied to Asia’s stability.
The sovereignty issue over Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea has been contentious for many years but in the recent past, it has become much worse, heightened by recent revelations where Manila reported that Chinese patrol ships had started using water cannons on Philippine boats and supply ships.
Beijing has stated that it is acting in defense of its sovereignty; however, a Chinese military representative pointed to the Philippines as having made “provocative gestures” while they were at the summit.
Some critics have even warned that any escalation to this level may cause a conflict in the South China Sea because America has a treaty with the Philippines promising to protect the Philippines if it is attacked.
In his speech, Marcos said: ‘If a Filipino civilian, much less a serviceman, is killed because of the Chinese ’s willful actions, then the Philippines will reciprocate by regarding the event as an act of war.’
The US has again proven its solidarity with some of its allies within the region, wherein US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin described the “harassment” went through by the Philippines and urged the two parties to engage in dialogue and not escalate the problem.
Both the U.S. and China have expressed a couple of times their intention in diplomacy to increase engagement to reduce such incidents in the future. The two sides focus on rebuilding military-to-military communication hotlines and setting up a crisis communications working group.
However, with the current situation, rising tensions in the South China Sea region remaining somewhat high, the international community will watch and wait, fingers crossed that diplomatic and cooperative negotiations will override the probability of threats that may involve military force.
