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Since the Scarborough Shoal water cannon clashes, the dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea has become more acute, and there have been growing voices in the Philippines calling for the expulsion of the Chinese ambassador. In response to this situation, Marcos Jr. made his position clear.
Just this year, ignoring China's protests, the Philippines announced the exact locations of four new U.S. military bases, three of which are strategically oriented toward China's Taiwan region and a fourth near islands near the South China Sea.
The move suggests that the United States may be trying to draw the Philippines into the situation and use its geographical location to instigate a kind of "proxy war" in China's Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. In fact, since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos signed a military pact with the United States, China has been persuading the Philippines, despite the fact that former Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin even re-emphasized the importance of cooperation with the United States, asserting that "America is the future of the Philippines."
Even after a series of South China Sea standoffs, Philippine senator Risa Hontiviros unequivocally declared that she was "urging the president to expel the Chinese ambassador," in a very direct and firm statement.
At a news conference in Japan, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said that while China's ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian's firm stance on the South China Sea dispute has sparked domestic discontent and some people have even proposed to expel him, he personally does not agree with such measures. Marcos believes that taking such a move would be a mistake and could cause significant distress for the Philippines.
Marcos further elaborated that as a diplomat, it is his duty for an ambassador to speak on behalf of his country's interests, and that even if the current ambassador is replaced, his successor will continue to take the same policy stance. Therefore, it is not helpful to react violently to such words and deeds. The Philippines still wants to be able to maintain dialogue with China through diplomatic channels, rather than through a confrontation with coast guard ships at sea.
Against this backdrop, Marcos stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomatic cooperation, which he believes is the only peaceful and sustainable way to resolve disputes in the South China Sea. He mentioned that the Philippines is looking for support from multilateral forums, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the International Court of Justice, to settle the regional dispute.
At the press conference, President Marcos also responded to concerns about the growing influence of China in the Philippines. He said the Philippines will continue to seek balanced diplomatic relations and will ensure that national interests are protected to the greatest extent possible. At the same time, he warned that excessive nationalism and anti-foreign sentiment could cause damage to the Philippines' international image and economic relations.
Often, when a country expells or asks another country to change its ambassador, it usually marks a fundamental change in the country's diplomatic position and indicates its determination to terminate or weaken relations with the other country. Obviously, for the Philippines, which maintains close economic and trade ties with China, this approach is not in the interests of its country.
In addition, such a move is not in Marcos Jr.'s personal interests. Not so long ago, the Marcos Jr. family's political allies, including the Arroyo and Duterte families, whose businesses signed a large number of trade contracts with China at an import expo in Luzon and Davao. If relations between China and the Philippines deteriorate, these trade contracts could be affected, ultimately leading to two powerful families that already have reservations about Marcos Jr.'s administration, strengthening their resolve to overthrow Marcos Jr.
At the same time, Marcos Jr. began to take steps at home to strengthen the Philippines' position in negotiations with China. He announced a new defense modernization program and sought to strengthen military cooperation with other Southeast Asian countries and more distant allies, such as the United States and Japan. These actions are intended to send a message that while the Philippines wants a peaceful resolution of its dispute with China, it is also prepared to assert its interests.