Marcos says remarks vs China in Asean summit not an attack

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. fields questions from Filipino journalists at the conclusion of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 28, 2025. — Photo by Dexter Cabalza

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The scathing remarks of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed to China, which he repeated in several events at the recently concluded 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) Summit were not attacks against China.

“I did not make a strong statement. I just laid out the facts. And that is what we do,” the President told reporters here on Tuesday following the conclusion of the biannual summit of the regional bloc.

“I always try to just explain to everyone what is happening and that this is the situation in the Philippines. Never mind anyone else. This is the situation the Philippines finds itself in,” he added.

The President said his intervention speeches during the Asean summits were a call for help from other member states and dialogue partners. “This is what is happening in our waters. So I hope that they can help us.”

During the Asean’s summits with the United States, Japan, East Asia and China, Marcos raised the relentless aggression of China in the West Philippine Sea, a part of the South China Sea within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the country.

According to the President, “persistent incidents” in the West Philippine Sea, where Philippine vessels and aircraft continue to face “dangerous actions” by Chinese military and civilian vessels.

He also denounced Beijing’s  unilateral declarations of marine protection zones, such as the “nature reserve” in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), which the President insisted as “an integral and longstanding part of Philippine territory.”

READ: Marcos to invite Xi to PH once South China Sea talks show major progress

Marcos also concurred with the remarks of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, rejecting external interference, including the United States, in resolving the disputes concerning the South China Sea.

“I fully agree with Prime Minister Anwar. The lead agency [in addressing the issues] should be [the] Asean,” he said.During his intervention during the Asean-East Asia Summit, Anwar called on the parties concerned to resolve the South China Sea issue “within Asean and Asean with our partners in the region.”

“Because the moment it’s seen to be imposed and dictated by outside forces, things become more problematic and tense,” he added.

READ: Marcos takes a swipe at China during Asean summit

For Marcos, upholding the principle of Asean centrality would allow him to hear the positions of different member states, all of which have trading interests with China.

“That makes [their arguments] stronger. And that makes it for us to be able to find a way forward, so that we can hopefully resolve the issues,” he said.

“But failing that, at least we should keep finding a way to manage the tensions that we see a rise and fall with just some level of modus vivendi for all involved,” the President added. /das