Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said the Philippines would likely become involved in any potential conflict over Taiwan because of its geographical proximity, comments expected to further strain ties with China.
Speaking in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on May 18, Marcos said the Philippines had little choice but to prepare for the possible impact of tensions surrounding Taiwan.
“In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” he said.
The remarks come ahead of Marcos’ upcoming state visit to Japan next week, where he is expected to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss regional security cooperation.
Marcos stressed that Manila does not wish to be involved in any conflict involving Taiwan, but acknowledged that the country would inevitably feel the effects because of its location.
“If there is actual confrontation, if there is conflict, just looking at the map, you can tell that the northern Philippines, at the very least, is going to be part of that or will feel the effects,” he added.
The Philippine leader previously drew criticism from Beijing in 2025 after warning that any war over Taiwan could drag the Philippines “kicking and screaming into the conflict”.
The issue of Taiwan was also reportedly discussed during a recent summit in Beijing between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
According to reports, Xi warned Washington that mishandling the Taiwan issue could trigger direct clashes between the two powers.
Trump later said Xi did not want to see Taiwan move towards independence, describing it as a scenario that could provoke serious confrontation.
Despite ongoing territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, Marcos said the Philippines continues to engage diplomatically with Beijing in an effort to maintain regional peace and stability.
“We have raised now the level of engagement with China,” he said, adding that top diplomats and officials from both countries are expected to meet again within the next month.
Marcos also indicated that he would seek greater clarity from Japan regarding Tokyo’s evolving security posture after Japan relaxed certain rules on defence exports.
He noted that both Japan and the Philippines have faced similar challenges involving what he described as coercive actions in disputed waters linked to China.
“We would like to hear more about what exactly Japan intends to do and what they are willing to do,” he said.
The comments come amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region as countries strengthen defence ties and prepare for possible security challenges involving Taiwan and the South China Sea.
