Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. encountered provocation from the Chinese military during the Shangri-La Dialogue, where the two engaged in a heated confrontation over the South China Sea issue.
On Friday (May 31), Marcos was invited to give a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Major General Xu Hui of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was the first to pose a question to him.
Xu Hui did not follow the usual protocol of introducing himself at the microphone. Instead, he went on a lengthy preamble about the “central role of ASEAN” before being urged by Sir John Chipman, the Executive Chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), to directly ask Marcos about the South China Sea issue.
He asked, “In the eyes of the international community, some recent actions of the Philippines seem to indicate a concern for the comfort of other parties in the region. Since the end of colonization, is there a risk of destabilizing the long-term peace in the region? What is your comment on this? Thank you very much.”
Marcos responded by stating that the Philippines “still adheres” to various “principles” of the ASEAN group. He reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to the “central role of ASEAN,” a key element of its foreign policy.
The term “central role of ASEAN” is considered a political term without a clear definition. The Chinese side typically interprets it as other ASEAN countries acting as “strategic intermediaries,” not aligning with any major power against Beijing.
Marcos responded to Xu Hui’s question by saying, “I can’t speculate on what you’re referring to, but if you’re suggesting or implying that the Philippines in some way is tearing up the consensus we reached on the central role of ASEAN, the answer is quite the opposite.”
He emphasized, “As you carefully listened to my speech just now, you would find that what we are focusing on is precisely the central role of ASEAN and the principles established when ASEAN was formed. It includes the concept of the central role of ASEAN, something we must guide ourselves by.” Marcos continued, “And I think, as I said, many things we don’t want to bring up today, but we have to talk about them.”
He added, “I can even say that there are no longer regional issues… We must involve all parties in the discussion, as it’s not just ASEAN member states who are stakeholders. In fact, it’s easy to see that the entire world has become a stakeholder in our regional peace and stability.”
Xu Hui’s questioning echoed the official Chinese stance on the South China Sea tensions, criticizing the Philippines for causing trouble and following the commands of its treaty ally, the United States. Nearly every neighboring country of China has been complained about by Beijing, with similar complaints.
The Shangri-La Dialogue is considered a premier defense summit because of its format, allowing representatives to interact more directly and intimately. It has been a place for candid and sometimes intense exchanges among the top defense and security officials in the Asia-Pacific region.
During his speech, Marcos stated, “The boundaries we have set in the (South China) waters are not from our imagination but from international law.” He was referring to the Philippines’ claims based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral ruling on sovereignty in the South China Sea. The 2016 ruling deemed Beijing’s comprehensive claims in the South China Sea unlawful.
Over the past year, tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated, with the Philippines showing resilience in defending its rights and claims in the West Philippine Sea (including parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone).
The confrontations at sea between the two sides are often tense and dangerous, with Chinese coast guard vessels using water cannons to prevent the resupply of the grounded Philippine vessel at Ayungin Shoal.
Marcos earlier stated that he does not want to escalate the already tense situation in the South China Sea, asserting that the Philippine government will never resort to water cannons to defend its territory like China.
The Philippine Foreign Minister described the relationship between the two countries as “volatile,” while the Chinese Foreign Minister threatened that the two countries were at a “crossroads.”
Subsequently, a leaked illegal recording of a conversation between a Chinese diplomat in the Philippines and Filipino military officials further strained the relations between the two countries.
During the Q&A session at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Philippine President was asked if a Filipino sailor’s death due to an attack by Chinese coast guard using water cannons would be seen as crossing a red line.
Marcos did not reject the hypothetical question. He said, “If an incident occurs resulting in the death of a Philippine serviceman, whether from the coast guard or navy, the Philippines will definitely raise its response level.”
“If a Filipino (not only a military person but any Filipino citizen) is intentionally killed, I think that is very, very close to what we define as an act of war,” he added.
He emphasized that would be a red line.