Marcos to US, China: Manage rivalry in responsible way

SINGAPORE—President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Friday called on the United States and China to manage their rivalry to maintain peace and stability in the region.

Marcos made the call during his keynote address at the 2024 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier defense summit. 

In his speech, Marcos said given the US and China's significant roles in the region, they should address their conflicts towards each other in a ''responsible'' manner.

''China’s determining influence over the security situation and the economic evolution of this region is permanent. At the same time, the stabilizing presence of America is crucial to regional peace. It's never a choice. Both countries are important,'' Marcos said. 

''The continued stability of this region requires China and the United States to manage that rivalry in a responsible manner,'' he added. 

According to Marcos, it has become even more crucial for the Philippines to assert that the future of the region will not be driven by one or two powerful countries, ''but by all of us.''

''The interests and responsibilities of all states in the community of nations must always be acknowledged. All our voices must be equally heard,'' Marcos said.

According to Marcos, the strategic competition between the US and China has penetrated the evolving regional landscape, noting that the rivalry has constrained the strategic choices of regional states.

''This contest is exacerbating flashpoints and has created new security dilemmas,'' Marcos said.

He pointed out that pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons, ''China and the United States have a unique responsibility to undertake concrete measures to reverse the recent increase in nuclear stockpiles and to alleviate the risks of nuclear conflict.''

Stressing the Philippines' foreign independent policy, Marcos in January of this year said the US and China were key actors in ensuring peace and security in the Asia-Pacific Region.

He has said the Philippines would not pick sides and raise tensions among nations.

In March, Marcos also clarified that the US has nothing to do with its decisions when it comes to issues in the West Philippine Sea, noting that the country ''acts for its own interest.''

Meanwhile, Marcos highlighted how the Philippines has come a long way despite the difficult but steady journey ''towards the fulfillment of our people's aspirations.''

He said the Philippines remains on track to achieving the goal of a high-income economy and a prosperous country by 2040. 

''Our strong potentials come with an inevitable rise in our global standing. Just as we have done in the past, we will embrace our role in this region and around the world with a sense of purpose,'' Marcos said.

''We are determined to be a force for good, a force for peace, a champion of regional and global unity, and a staunch defender of the rules-based international order,'' he added. —NB, GMA Integrated News