Despite the rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has emphasized the importance of the Philippines being prepared for bigger and more worrisome external threats.
In an announcement from the Presidential Communications Office, Marcos mentioned that the military must be ready to handle any external threats because of the country’s strategic location close to Taiwan, which he called a “area of interest for China.” He made this point during a meeting with members of the Philippine Army.
“You have two missions now, whereas it was only internal security before,” Marcos said, emphasizing the military’s increased involvement in reaction to changing security concerns.
The Philippines does not intend to expand its territory or change its sovereign borders, including its exclusive economic zone, he added in his clarification.
Marcos stated that the “emerging threats” and the “changing geopolitical landscape” were the main reasons for the authorization of the building of an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site in Cagayan with the United States.
When the Chinese government warned the Philippines earlier this year after Marcos congratulated Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on his election victory, tensions increased. Any move that contests China’s claim that Taiwan is a part of its territory is met with resistance.
According to the Philippines’ National Security Policy, the tense relations between China and Taiwan are a major cause for concern because of the possibility that they could worsen and affect the stability of the region.
In order to protect the nation’s security interests, Marcos has called for military readiness, which highlights the continued difficulties brought on by changing geopolitics.
