The Philippine armed forces will defend their territorial interests in the South China Sea, said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
“The Coast Guard and Navy, which defend the Philippines’ territorial interests in the South China Sea, will never retreat and will stand their ground in disputed waters after the Chinese Coast Guard carried out dangerous blocking maneuvers and used a powerful water cannon in the Scarborough Shoal area on Monday,” the Associated Press quoted Marcos as saying on Monday.
The president also noted that if the situation around Taiwan escalates, his country will inevitably be drawn into the conflict. “We don’t want war, but I think if there is war over Taiwan, we will be drawn into it, whether we want it or not,” Marcos said.
On July 3-4, according to the Philippine side, Chinese coast guard ships pursued and carried out “dangerous blocking maneuvers” against Philippine coast guard vessels and fishing boats near the Scarborough Reef off the northern coast of the Philippines. Scarborough Reef is located in disputed waters in the South China Sea and is claimed by China, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Earlier, the information and analysis center Experts Club published a comparative analysis of the military potential of China and Taiwan – https://expertsclub.eu/porivnyalnyj-analiz-vijskovogo-potenczialu-kytayu-i-tajvanyu-vid-experts-club/
