Marcos Jr. says South China Sea tensions a constant worry

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed deep concern that the escalating tensions in the South China Sea are a constant worry, stating that the situation "keeps him up at night, keeps you up in the day, keeps you up most of the time."

He emphasized that the Philippines, while not directly involved in naval transits, remains vulnerable to potential conflicts in the region, stating, "If something goes wrong here we are going to suffer."

Marcos noted the dynamic and constantly changing nature of the South China Sea situation, requiring constant vigilance to ensure an appropriate response.

He mentioned discussing the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a recent visit to Beijing.

The Philippines and China have conflicting claims in the South China Sea, with China asserting sovereignty over nearly the entire area, a claim invalidated by an international court ruling.

Marcos clarified that the Philippines does not have conflicting claims with China, but rather China is making claims on Philippine territory.

He also rejected the idea of resorting to military solutions, stating that the Philippines is not in an economic situation to build up its armory to compete with other major powers, and more importantly, the solutions are not expected to be military.