Marcos Warns on China Risks, Says He’s Not ‘Poking the Bear’
- ‘Existential threat’ would trigger US defense treaty: Marcos
- Philippines leader says he wants China ties on an ‘even keel’
This article is for subscribers only.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the threat to his nation from China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea is growing but argued that his government’s efforts to assert sovereignty over disputed areas aren’t meant to start a conflict by “poking the bear.”
“We are trying to keep things on an even keel,” Marcos said Tuesday in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin at the presidential palace in Manila. The challenge, he added, is that “since the threat has grown, we must do more to defend our territory.”