ANKARA, Dec 18 — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his country will establish “strong alliances” with its allies to maintain regional stability.
Marcos made the remarks to the Japanese media, Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
He said the Philippines will continue to remain committed to peace and the rules-based order.
Describing the dispute in the South China Sea as “the most complex geopolitical challenge the world has faced,” Marcos said that no country in the world wants a conflict like the Russia-Ukraine war to erupt in Asia and that the search for solutions to the dispute continues.
The South China Sea has been the subject of sovereignty disputes since the littoral countries gained their independence after World War II.
Sovereignty disputes over the islets, reefs, shallows and sea dams in the region, especially the Paracel and Spratly Islands, occasionally lead to tensions between countries.
