Marcos slams China’s ‘dangerous, coercive’ actions in South China Sea

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has criticized the Philippines’ “northern neighbor,” apparently referring to China, for continuously violating international law and the country’s sovereignty in the South China Sea.

The President issued the strongly worded statement on Monday during his participation in the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which as attended by officials from China, the United States, Japan, and the Southeast Asian countries, among others.

“On the South China Sea, it is regrettable that incidents continue to occur in the West Philippine Sea, endangering the lives of Filipinos and the safety of our vessels and aircraft,” Marcos said.

He cited “dangerous maneuvers and the coercive use of tools and equipment to interfere with or obstruct legitimate and routine Philippine activities” within the country’s own maritime zones and airspace. These activities, he said, were protected under international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In recent months, Chinese coastguard and militia vessels have pursued Philippine Coast Guard and fisheries’ ships in its exclusive economic zone. There have also been instances of Chinese aircraft flying dangerously close to Philippine aircraft.

In his EAS intervention, Marcos also highlighted the “strong” Philippine protest against China’s declaration of the Scarborough Shoal as its national nature reserve.

“Just recently, our northern neighbor has declared a so-called ‘National Nature Reserve’ in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. We strongly protested such a declaration. Bajo de Masinloc is a longstanding and integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction,” he said.

The President stressed that only the Philippine government has the “exclusive authority” to designate environmental protection areas over its territory and maritime zones.

“The establishment of the so-called ‘nature reserve’ violates the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal, impairs the traditional fishing rights of our fisherfolk, and contravenes international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Award on the South China Sea Arbitration, and relevant domestic laws,” Marcos said.

In the 2016 arbitral award, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that the Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipinos and other nationals.

In September, China announced d the creation of a national nature reserve in what it calls “Huang Island.”

Despite China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, Marcos assured that the Philippines will remain “firm, calm, and resolute” in pursuing an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS.

The Philippine government expressed optimism that significant progress could be made on the COC when the country chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit next year.