Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.
THE upcoming state visit of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to China this week will be his most consequential foreign trip to date. The significance stems not merely from the economic agreements to be signed, but from the bilateral relations that could set the tone in one of the world's potential flashpoints, the South China Sea or as Filipinos call it, West Philippine Sea (WPS).The President's ability to balance his foreign policy should be on display. On one hand, he vowed not to yield "a millimeter" of territory to any foreign power. But at the same time, Mr. Marcos declared that the Philippines will be a friend to all and an enemy to no one.Making friends is the better policy, even when China makes that difficult for its neighbors. As everyone knows, China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea with its so-called nine-dash line. That covers territories belonging to the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the island of Taiwan.For many Filipinos, the dispute is a gut issue, particularly for fishermen who have been kept out of traditional fishing grounds by Chinese vessels. Pablo Rosales, chairman of the small fishermen alliance Pangisda Pilipinas, told The Manila Times that Filipinos have been turned away from Bajo de Masinloc by the Chinese coast guard. The situation seems similar around other contested areas of the WPS."We hope Marcos will be firm on this position and show China that he is ready to defend what is ours," Rosales said. "That's what we are asking the President — to advance the welfare of our Filipino fishermen and China to respect our rights. We hope that President Marcos will relay this message during his visit."Mr. Marcos is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. That will be their second meeting after Bangkok during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit.In a recent media briefing, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial said that Mr. Marcos wanted a peaceful and stable situation in the WPS and would continue to uphold the country's sovereign rights during his meeting with Chinese leaders. He added, "The President has said that the maritime issues do not define the totality of our bilateral relations with China, but nevertheless he acknowledges the importance of this issue to our interest and to the Filipino people."
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