JAKARTA, Indonesia — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday cozied up to Australia and India amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
During the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Jakarta, Marcos separately thanked his Australian and Indian counterparts for their support in promoting peace in the South China Sea.
“We, the Philippines, thank Australia for expressing concern on the latest actions directed against the Philippines in the South China Sea. We join Australia on the call for peace, stability, and respect for the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (Unclos),” the President said in the Asean-Australia Summit, which was attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Marcos likewise thanked Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi for his nation’s solidarity with the Non-Aligned Movement Meeting,
“As a key player in the Indo-Pacific, we recognize India’s significance and influence in the region. We urge India’s continued support for Asean Centrality as well as efforts in promoting mutual respect, dialogue, and confidence building initiatives. We certainly appreciate India’s constructive role in world affairs and its promotion of the rule of law as a major power in the region. Asean and India share a common vision for the Indo-Pacific region,” Marcos said.
Marcos added that the Philippines shares India’s vision for cooperation in ensuring the sustainable use of maritime resources.
During the Summit, Marcos also thanked key defense allies in the South China Sea conflict, namely Japan, South Korea, and the US.
The US in particular, had ben a vocal supporter of the Philippines in addressing tensions in the South China Sea.