MANILA, Philippines: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned that the potential for outright conflict between the Philippines and China with regard to the territorial row in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) 'is much higher now than it was before' and called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to be more responsive when it comes to addressing the issue.

'We worry in the Philippines because it could come from, not a strategic decision by anyone saying, 'OK, we're going to war,' but just by some servicemen making a mistake, or some action that's misunderstood. That's why the ongoing attempt is always to try and lower the temperature down [when] the rhetoric is up,' Marcos said in an interview with Australian journalist Sarah Ferguson on the sidelines of his participation in the Asean-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne earlier this week.