Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has warned China not to cross a red line in the South China Sea, where a standoff between the countries continues to escalate.
If any Filipino died as a result of China’s wilful actions, he said on Friday, the Philippines would consider it as close to “an act of war” and respond accordingly.
Mr Marcos was speaking at a security forum in Singapore attended by defence chiefs from around the world, including the US’s Lloyd Austin.
He stressed the region remained a main focus for Washington, and that the US was only secure if Asia was too.
SCS is not part of china’s ‘sovereignity’. It is named so because it is south of china, and not because it is china’s south sea.
We should rename it to the South East Asian Sea, SEAS for short.
Marcos Questions ‘Secret’ Duterte Deal with China on Sea Dispute
The previous administration made and respected a gentleman’s agreement in the area. This isn’t a question of sovereignty, but of whether the Philippines is under an obligation to respect deals made by previous administrations.