China on Friday accused the Philippines of “playing with fire” following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement that the country would inevitably be drawn into any conflict between China and the United States over Taiwan.
The warning came after Marcos, during a state visit to India, explained that the Philippines’ geographical proximity to Taiwan and the large Filipino community there would compel Manila to act if tensions escalated into war.
“Geographical proximity” and “large overseas populations” are not excuses for a country to interfere in the internal affairs of others,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “We urge the Philippines to earnestly adhere to the one-China principle … and refrain from playing with fire on issues concerning China’s core interests.”
The president’s remarks come amid worsening tensions between Beijing and Manila over the South China Sea, where both countries have accused each other of aggressive maneuvers and sovereignty violations. This has prompted the United States to reaffirm its defense commitment to the Philippines.
Beijing considers Taiwan, a self-governed democracy, as part of its territory — a claim strongly rejected by Taipei.
In an interview with Indian news outlet Firstpost on Wednesday, Marcos said: “If there is an all-out war, then we will be drawn into.”
“There are many, many Filipino nationals in Taiwan and that would be immediately a humanitarian problem. We will have to go in there, find a way to go in there, and find a way to bring our people home,” he added.
China dismissed such reasoning, saying it “not only violates international law and the ASEAN charter, but also undermines regional peace and stability and the fundamental interests of (the Philippines’) own people.”
The Philippine embassy in Beijing has yet to issue a comment.