New Philippines president fighting back against China’s incursions
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has stepped up efforts to curb Chinese incursions and filed 52 protests against Beijing. South China Sea.
Philippine foreign affairs spokeswoman Teresita Daza said the Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest over what it calls China’s “illegal presence” in the South China Sea, where China has conducted marine scientific research, Bloomberg reported.
Marcos Jr.’s 52 diplomatic protests filed in the two months since he took office marked a faster pace than his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who filed 388 such protests. Against China During his six years in power
The Philippines inaugurated Ferdinand Marcos Jr. After 36 years, the father was removed from office.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stands with his mother, Imelda Marcos, left, and his wife, Maria Luisa Marcos, during his inauguration ceremony on June 30, 2022 in Manila, Philippines.
(AP Photo/Aaron Favela)
The protests come despite Marcos Jr.’s pledge to ease ties with China, amid the countries’ dispute over the resource-rich South China Sea, which also serves as a key shipping lane for international trade. works. The Philippine government has expressed openness to compromise on Chinese oil and gas exploration in the region, although Marcos Jr. made it clear that his country would not cede any territory to China.
The Philippine leader has also pledged to maintain the country’s military alliance with the United States.
Marcos Jr., who assumed the presidency on June 30, is the son of longtime Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who led the country from 1965 to 1986. The elder Marcos, who died in 1989, was ousted from power in 1986. A pro-democracy coup in the country, with Marcos Sr. facing charges. Human rights violations.
A screen shows incoming Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte at the inauguration ceremony at the National Museum of the Philippines on June 30, 2022 in Manila.
(AP Photo/Aaron Favela)
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But Marcos Jr. has defended his father’s legacy, denying claims that the elder Marcos was a dictator.
“How many times have I been in this room where he was consulting with different groups?” Marcos Jr. said during an interview at the presidential palace on Wednesday, according to ABC. “A dictator doesn’t give advice, a dictator just says, ‘This is what you’re going to do, whether you like it or not.’