MANILA — President Marcos Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has acknowledged the importance of the United States and China to the peace and economic evolution in the Indo-Pacific region.
In his keynote address at the opening of the 21st edition of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the President said China’s determining influence over the security situation and the economic evolution of the region is permanent.
However, the Chief Executive told the forum that the stabilizing presence of America is crucial to regional peace.
“The continued stability of this region requires China and the United States to manage that rivalry in a responsible manner,” he said. “It is never a choice. Both countries are important,” he added.
The President also said nations in the Indo-Pacific must reject any attempt to deny their strategic agencies, especially by forces that seek to subordinate the former’s interests to those of the latter.
At any rate, President Marcos said the global community must adhere to the rules-based international order governed by international law and informed by principles of equity and of justice.
He stressed the need to reaffirm and adhere to the principles underpinning this rules-based order, such as those enshrined in the UN Charter that was negotiated in San Francisco in 1945, the Bangkok Declaration that established ASEAN in 1967, and the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes that was adopted unanimously by the UN in 1982.
“The past inspires the needed clarity and foresight to confront the challenges of the present, and to build the future to which we all aspire. From the achievements of San Francisco, Bangkok, [and] Manila,” President Marcos said.
The Philippine leader also enumerated three constants that should guide the region in resolving challenges: The sovereign equality of states must remain sacrosanct; ASEAN and ASEAN-led processes must remain central, yet purposive and effective; and the rule of law and the integrity of multilateral institutions must prevail.
These constants must guide the efforts to prepare the nations in the region for the challenges ahead, he pointed out, adding the misguided interpretations painting the region as a mere theater of geopolitical rivalries should be rejected.
“We are not mere bystanders to unfolding world events. We are the actors that drive those events. We are the main characters in our collective story. We are the owners of the narratives of our regional community,” President Marcos said.
More than 550 delegates from the defense and security establishments of more than 40 nations around the world were expected to attend the event, which is taking place at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. (PND)
