Marcos counters China over Taiwan remarks: I’m just stating facts

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. answers questions from journalists in a rare press conference in Malacañang on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Screenshot from PTV/RTVM)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines hit back at the latest criticism of China after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the country would be drawn into an all-out war between global superpowers Beijing and Washington over Taiwan.

Marcos rejected the claim of China that he was “playing with fire” for his remarks and said he was “just stating facts.”

“We do not want to go to war. But I think, if there is a war over Taiwan, we will be drawn, whether we like it or not. Kicking and screaming, we will be drawn and dragged into that mess,” the President said in a rare press conference with Malacañang reporters on Monday.

According to the President, the Philippines already has a “plan” to evacuate and safely return home the thousands of Filipinos working in Taiwan should an armed conflict erupt.

“We cannot just leave them there. We will have to do something. So inevitable, despite our fervent wish to avoid any confrontation with anybody, anywhere, a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines into the conflict,” he said.

Marcos’ remarks came amid heightened tension between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

Manila urges China and other nations to uphold international law and recognize its 2016 arbitral win that nullified Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

READ: Marcos: No way PH can stay out of China-Taiwan tussle 

In an interview with news media Firstpost on the sidelines of his state visit to India last August 6, Marcos was asked if he would allow the United States to use Philippine resources and bases to defend Taiwan from China

“To be very practical about it, if there is a confrontation over Taiwan between China and the United States, there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it simply because of our physical geographic location,” Marcos answered.

“And so if you, if you think about it, if there is an all-out war, then we will be drawn into it,” he added.

The Philippines’ neighboring Taiwan, which is also a US ally, is also seen as a potential flashpoint of armed conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. Security experts warned that China would invade the self-ruled Taiwan within the decade.

READ: Marcos: US will surely come to aid PH should it face security challenges 

Should conflict escalate further in Taiwan, the Philippines’ priority would be to protect and bring home the more than 150,000 overseas Filipino workers.

“There are many, many Filipino nationals in Taiwan, and that would immediately be a humanitarian problem,” the President said.

In response, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded statement on Aug. 8, warning Manila not to “play with fire” and urging it to uphold the “one China” principle.

“‘Geographical proximity’ and ‘large overseas populations’ are not excuses for a country to interfere in the internal affairs of others,” it said.

Beijing continues to assert that Taiwan is part of its territory and a breakaway province, a position Taipei rejects.

The Philippines observes the “One China Policy,”  the long-standing position of the People’s Republic of China that there is only one sovereign state that is China, and that Taiwan is a part of China. /gsg