Marcos Jr: PH will not give up West Philippine Sea claim

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stated that the Philippines will not relinquish its claims on the West Philippine Sea, emphasizing this as a non-negotiable stance.

He acknowledged the challenges in resolving the dispute due to both nations' firm positions on their territorial claims.

Marcos suggested that alternative approaches such as joint exploration and other agreements could be explored to manage the situation.

However, he reiterated that ceding any part of the Philippines' established territory is a "red line" that will not be crossed.

In an interview with Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Marcos said Beijing and Manila are working towards establishing a direct line in cases of any incidents in the West Philippine Sea.

He added that the government has already sent diplomatic protests regarding the reported swarming of Chinese militias in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos said he raised the Philippines' long-standing dispute with China in the SCS during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, regarding it as an "important" and "unavoidable" issue that affects not only diplomacy and security but also the livelihood of Filipino citizens.