Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned China not to cross red lines in the South China Sea, as the standoff between the two countries continued to escalate.
He said that if any Filipinos died as a result of China’s intentional actions, the Philippines would consider this to be close to an “act of war” and respond accordingly.
Mr Marcos was speaking at a security forum in Singapore attended by defense ministers from around the world, including the United States and China.
In response, a Chinese military spokesman accused the Philippines of “blaming China” and “smear attacks.”
A long-standing territorial dispute in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines has escalated into an aggressive conflict in recent months.
Manila has complained strongly about Chinese patrol boats firing water cannons at Philippine ships and supply ships.
Beijing says it is defending its sovereignty. Earlier on Friday, a Chinese military spokesman accused the Philippines of “provocation”.
Observers worry that any escalation could trigger a conflict between China and the United States in the South China Sea. The United States is bound by a treaty with the Philippines to protect the Southeast Asian nation should it be attacked.
The United States has previously said it will maintain its “ironclad” commitment to allies in the region and has sought to bring them closer, including through summits with the Philippines and Japan last month.
On Friday, Mr. Marcos had just delivered his opening remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore when a delegate raised a hypothetical scenario in which a Chinese water cannon killed a Filipino soldier. He was asked whether he would consider the red line and whether it would invoke the U.S.-Philippines treaty.
“If a Filipino – not just a military member, but even a Filipino citizen – is intentionally killed… I think that is very, very close to what we define as an act of war, and so we will respond accordingly. I believe that our treaty partners also hold the same standards.
He noted that Filipinos had been injured in recent clashes, but no deaths had yet been reported. “Once we get to that point, we’ve definitely crossed the Rubicon. Is that a red line? It’s almost certainly going to be a red line.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a Chinese spokesman said, “If only one person dies accidentally in a conflict or accident that triggers a war, then I really believe this is a warring country.”
The Marcos government is increasing military spending and buying missiles from the United States and India. It is seeking to get a sizeable share of the U.S. military aid package proposed for its allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
The issue also came up during a key meeting earlier Friday between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun.
The Chinese military said the Philippines was “incited and supported by external forces” and had “violated its commitments and carried out provocations” on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila has established a military outpost.
They also opposed the United States’ dispatch of medium-range missile systems to the Philippines during recent joint military exercises, saying it “posed a real threat to regional security.”
But both the United States and China have expressed a willingness to keep communication channels open.
A U.S. statement at the meeting said they were working to restore phone calls between military commanders – an important feature that was cut off in 2022 after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. communication pipeline – and working to establish a crisis communications task force.
Mr Wu told reporters that the meeting was “positive, pragmatic and constructive”. He added that U.S.-China relations “are stabilizing from further deterioration.”
