Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping | REUTERS file photo
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has told Chinese President Xi Jinping that tensions in the West Philippine Sea would not have escalated if China and the Philippines “minded” their respective businesses.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco last month.
On Tuesday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri recalled asking Marcos about that meeting in the United States during a recent dinner at the President’s house.
“Tinanong ko po sya [Marcos]: ‘Ano ang binulong n’yo po kay President Xi when you met him…? And he told me, Migz, in no small terms I just said we would not be having this problem if you minded your own business and we minded ours,” Zubiri said over ABS-CBN News Channel, quoting Marcos.
“We’re just doing resupply missions to Ayungin shoal, helping our fisherfolk in Bajo de Masinloc and if you want to watch over our Coast Guard ships, our white ships as well as our fishing vessels of the BFAR, fine, no problem, but don’t do any aggressive maneuvers like blocking them, ramming them,” Marcos also told Xi, according to Zubiri.
BFAR is Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
“He told that straight to president Xi,” the Senate leader continued, “President Xi was just quiet, stoic and looking at him.”
The Senate leader agreed with Marcos that there would have been no problems in the West Philippine Sea if China did not make any aggressive moves against Philippine vessels.
Over the weekend, Chinese vessels rammed and used water cannons against Philippine vessels during two separate support missions within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
READ: West PH Sea supply missions fruitful amid China’s bullying – official
These latest harassments by China have prompted Zubiri to call for the expulsion of Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian for not doing anything to address Beijing’s continued attacks against the Philippines.
former Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio said Tuesday that to expel Huang amid escalating Beijing intimidations in the West Philippine Sea would be an “extreme measure.”