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President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday said the Philippines will cooperate with China in areas where their interests align but would push back when its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in South China Sea are ignored.
Ties between neighbors the Philippines and China have soured since Marcos took office in 2022, with repeated spats over disputed features in the South China Sea at a time when Manila has been forging closer defense ties with longtime military ally the United States.
Speaking at a Lowy Institute forum during a visit to Australia, Marcos, stressed too much emphasis was being placed on the superpower rivalry between the United States and China, at the expense of legitimate maritime interests of other countries in the region.
