Shangri-La Dialogue 2024
Any ‘wilful act’ in maritime spat that causes a Filipino death is close to ‘act of war’: Ferdinand Marcos
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr speaking during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, on May 31.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Michelle Ng
Correspondent
MAY 31, 2024,
SINGAPORE — Any Filipino serviceman or citizen killed by a wilful act comes very close to what the Philippines defines as “an act of war” – to which his country will “respond accordingly”, said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on May 31.
“We had already suffered injury but thank God, we have not yet gotten to the point where any of our participants, civilian or otherwise, have been killed,” said Mr Marcos, using the most strongly worded language to date in reference to an escalating maritime row with China in the South China Sea.
“But once we get to that point, certainly we would have crossed the Rubicon. Is that a red line? Almost certainly it’s going to be a red line,” he added, in response to a question from the floor after his keynote speech at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore.
In March, China’s coast guard fired a water cannon on a Philippine vessel, which the Philippines said resulted in injuries and property damage.
A member of the audience had asked Mr Marcos during the brief Q&A session after his address that if water cannons fired by Chinese coast guards killed a Filipino sailor, would that “cross a red line”.
In the past year, Manila and Beijing have been embroiled in heated stand-offs over their longstanding competing claims in the South China Sea.
Earlier in May, the Philippines accused China of building “an artificial island” in a disputed area and deployed a ship “to monitor the supposed illegal activities”, with two other vessels in rotational deployment in the area.
Beijing claims jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea, where more than US$3 trillion (S$5 trillion) of global trade passes annually, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Since assuming office in 2022, Mr Marcos has taken a tougher line than his predecessor towards China’s actions, while backed by defence allies the United States, as well as Japan and Australia.
It was the first time a Philippine head of state delivered the keynote speech at the annual defence summit, and comes as Singapore and the Philippines mark 55 years of diplomatic ties.
Mr Marcos’ speech marks the opening of the three-day regional security forum, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, held from May 31 to June 2 at the Shangri-La Hotel, attended by defence ministers from around the world, including the US and China.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun – newly appointed just five months ago, who was sitting in the audience when Mr Marcos gave his keynote address – met on the sidelines of the summit in a 75-minute meeting that ran longer than scheduled.
Michelle Ng
Correspondent
MAY 31, 2024,
SINGAPORE — Any Filipino serviceman or citizen killed by a wilful act comes very close to what the Philippines defines as “an act of war” – to which his country will “respond accordingly”, said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on May 31.
“We had already suffered injury but thank God, we have not yet gotten to the point where any of our participants, civilian or otherwise, have been killed,” said Mr Marcos, using the most strongly worded language to date in reference to an escalating maritime row with China in the South China Sea.
“But once we get to that point, certainly we would have crossed the Rubicon. Is that a red line? Almost certainly it’s going to be a red line,” he added, in response to a question from the floor after his keynote speech at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore.
In March, China’s coast guard fired a water cannon on a Philippine vessel, which the Philippines said resulted in injuries and property damage.
A member of the audience had asked Mr Marcos during the brief Q&A session after his address that if water cannons fired by Chinese coast guards killed a Filipino sailor, would that “cross a red line”.
In the past year, Manila and Beijing have been embroiled in heated stand-offs over their longstanding competing claims in the South China Sea.
Earlier in May, the Philippines accused China of building “an artificial island” in a disputed area and deployed a ship “to monitor the supposed illegal activities”, with two other vessels in rotational deployment in the area.
Beijing claims jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea, where more than US$3 trillion (S$5 trillion) of global trade passes annually, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Since assuming office in 2022, Mr Marcos has taken a tougher line than his predecessor towards China’s actions, while backed by defence allies the United States, as well as Japan and Australia.
It was the first time a Philippine head of state delivered the keynote speech at the annual defence summit, and comes as Singapore and the Philippines mark 55 years of diplomatic ties.
Mr Marcos’ speech marks the opening of the three-day regional security forum, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, held from May 31 to June 2 at the Shangri-La Hotel, attended by defence ministers from around the world, including the US and China.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun – newly appointed just five months ago, who was sitting in the audience when Mr Marcos gave his keynote address – met on the sidelines of the summit in a 75-minute meeting that ran longer than scheduled.
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Both men underscored the importance of stepping up military-to-military communication which had been cut following then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.
The meeting between the defence chiefs comes after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to resume military-to-military talks when they met in San Francisco in November 2023.
Beijing’s participation at this year’s summit also takes place days after it conducted two days of large-scale “punishment” military drills near Taiwan, a source of geopolitical tension for the US and China.
Mr Austin is scheduled to headline the first plenary session on June 1, during which he is expected to outline the US’ strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. Admiral Dong will deliver an address at a plenary session on China’s approach to global security on June 2.
Meanwhile, Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to make a special address in the afternoon of June 1.
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