New Delhi: As tension heightens in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, the Filipino President, Bongbong Marcos, on Thursday said that 'Filipinos do not yield', while noting that his country seeks no conflict with any nation.
In a post on X, Philippines President, Bongbong Marcos, said, "We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience. Filipinos do not yield".
"Over these past days, I have met with and spoken to our country’s National Security and Defense leadership. They have made their considered recommendations and, through exhaustive consultations, I have given them my directives. I have also been in constant communication with representatives of relevant allies, partners, and friends in the international community. They have offered to help us with what the Philippines requires to protect and secure our Sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific," said Marcos.
I have given them our requirements and we have been assured that they will be addressed, he added. EAM Jaishankar was on a recent visit to the Philippines to bolster ties. During his visit, the EAM reiterated support to Manila in upholding national sovereignty, which irked China, and in response to Jaishankar, the Chinese foreign ministry said that 'third parties have no right to interfere in maritime disputes. Meanwhile, the US condemned China's growing belligerence in the South China Sea.
Furthermore, the Filippino President in a post on X said, "Over the succeeding weeks there shall be, implemented by the relevant national government agencies and instrumentalities, a response and countermeasure package that is proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable in the face of the open, unabating, and illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks by agents of the China Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia".
Tensions between Manila and Beijing have seen an upsurge over disputed waters in the South China Sea. The most recent territorial conflict took place on March 23 this year, when the Philippines accused the Chinese Coast Guard of injuring its personnel in a water cannon attack near the Second Thomas Shoal. Manila also summoned Beijing's envoy over the incident.
What is the conflict all about?
The conflict between Manila and Beijing is mainly over two disputed territories -- Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands. The former is about 120 nautical miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon and is considered a part of the Philippines Exclusive Zone. The Spratly Islands are a group of over 100 islands and reefs, and while the Philippines claims some parts, China lays claim to the entire archipelago.
China calls the Scarborough Shoal 'Huangyan Dao' while the Filipino calls it ' Panatag Shoal'. Meanwhile, the Chinese mouthpiece Global Times on Wednesday, called India 'naive' to interfere in the South China Sea.
It said that India is actively joining the anti-China club, hoping to put more pressure on China by siding with the Philippines on the South China Sea issue. The Global Times in an article said that India's ostensible siding with the Philippines is playing the South China Sea card and igniting tensions around China's periphery, to exert more pressure on China and gain an advantage in its border dispute with China.
"Recently, India engaged in a series of high-profile moves on the border issue. In early March, India suddenly deployed 10,000 soldiers to its border with China. On March 23, Jaishankar claimed that China's Zangnan area is a "natural part of India", it said.
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