Marcos: Onus now on China

The Manila Times

Marcos: Onus now on China  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says the 'onus is now on China' to accelerate the negotiations of the Asean-China Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea. 'We have to accelerate the negotiations. We have to define our terms already as quickly as possible so we can talk about the issues. That's a very important part of our argument,' he said.  Video by Catherine Valente  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel -  vhttps://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net     Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook   Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram   Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter   DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion     Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify   Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts   Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic   Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #themanilatimes #tmtnews  #bbm #philippines

Transcript

00:00What was the intention of raising maritime tensions at the ASEAN-China summit, when countries

00:15usually take it up in other forums like the EAS or the NDRF?

00:20Well, we take every opportunity that we can, again, to make the Philippine position clear.

00:29Our intent, really, is at this point, what we are doing is trying to manage the situation.

00:41You know that all of us who have been working on this problem for a while have come to the

00:50conclusion that there's no silver bullet here that will solve the problems immediately.

00:56So we have to just manage it so that there's no conflict, that it does not erupt into a

01:03hotter confrontation than it already is.

01:07So what we in the Philippines' approach to maintaining and to protecting our sovereignty

01:17is to keep a presence.

01:19As long as we have ships there, we have fishermen, we have presence in every place.

01:25Now, if there are incidents that intimidate our fishermen or block our ships, our coast

01:39guards, we will just have to deal with it.

01:43But nonetheless, whatever happens, we will maintain that presence.

01:48Because it is important to show the world and our people that we are in the business

01:57of protecting our sovereignty.

01:58We are in the business of maintaining our – of protecting our territorial imperatives.

02:04We are insisting on exercising our sovereign rights.

02:09Sir, it was the Philippines that first proposed a creation of a code of conduct in the South

02:14China Sea.

02:15We couldn't get that.

02:16The Philippines pushed for the adoption of a declaration of conduct in 2002.

02:20And we're hosting the ASEAN in 2026.

02:23Will we push for the conclusion of the COC?

02:27Every single day we push for the conclusion of COC because then that will provide the

02:32basis that will – I'm sure that will come when the time – if and when we have that

02:39COC, then it will lay down the rules for everyone to follow and it will stabilize the

02:46situation.

02:47That's why it is so important.

02:49That's why I don't want to make it a small matter that we push.

02:58We really push.

02:59In fact, in almost every one of my interventions here at this ASEAN summit, we've mentioned

03:07that and say that the solution for now to this is – well, no, not for now.

03:12The solution in the end will be to have a COC.

03:16And we are always pushing for it.

03:18We're always pushing for – we have to accelerate the negotiations.

03:22We have to define our terms already as quickly as possible so we can talk about the issues.

03:28That's a very important part of our argument.

03:31Sir, last question.

03:32Sorry, sir.

03:33Sir, with that in mind, how do you think the ASEAN should accelerate those talks?

03:36You've pushed it in your interventions.

03:38How do you think the other ASEAN member countries would accelerate?

03:41I think the onus is now on China to accelerate those talks.

03:46ASEAN has been waiting for a long time.

Category

Transcript

Recommended