Tensions In South China Sea With Beijing, President Marcos Jr.: Philippines Will Not Lose An Inch Of Territory

President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand Romuadez Marcos Jr. when he came to Indonesia (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Lukas)

JAKARTA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized that his country will not lose an inch of its territory. This is a firm stance regarding maritime tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.

"This country has seen escalating geopolitical tensions that are incompatible with our ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the country, the region, and the world," Marcos said in a speech at a military alumni homecoming event, reported by Channel News Asia, Saturday 18 February.

"This country will not lose an inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our constitution and with international law. We will work with our neighbors to secure the safety and security of our people," he continued.

The Beijing Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's foreign ministry said its coast guard was acting within the law.

On Tuesday, Marcos summoned the Chinese envoy to express his "serious concern" at Beijing's "increasing frequency and intensity of actions" against the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea.

The Philippines' foreign ministry on Tuesday also lodged a diplomatic protest after the Manila coast guard reported its Chinese counterpart had aimed a "military-grade laser" at one of its ships supporting a troop supply mission, temporarily blinding its crew on the bridge.

China's recent actions, just a month after Marcos' state visit to Beijing, have sparked a long-running South China Sea territorial dispute.

China claims most of the strategic waterway, through which about $3 trillion in ship-borne trade annually, was quashed by an international tribunal in The Hague in 2016.