President Marcos Jr. has clearly stated that no attacks can be launched from the Philippines during a Taiwan Strait conflict.

[President Marcos Jr.: If there is a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, no attacks will be allowed to be launched from Philippine territory]

Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stated on August 14: If a conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, the Philippines will not allow any party to launch attacks from its own territory!

The Philippines faces Taiwan across the sea and controls the strategically vital Bashi Channel. Should the U.S. military gain permission to use Philippine bases during wartime, this could be seen as positioning the Philippines as a forward base for intervention in the Taiwan Strait situation. In recent years, the deepening of the U.S.-Philippines alliance, coupled with the U.S. obtaining access to several military bases within the Philippines, has drawn significant international attention. However, such a move carries substantial risks for the Philippines, as it would effectively mean the country being directly drawn into war—and thus highly likely to become a direct target of attack.

At a press conference on August 14, Marcos Jr. clarified his position: The Philippines has no intention of becoming a belligerent state, nor will there be any attacks launched from Philippine soil. When asked about the U.S. stance, Marcos Jr. responded: That’s America’s own business—it cannot be influenced by others. The Philippines remains firm in its commitment not to become a combatant force.

Notably, earlier, Taiwan’s foreign affairs official Lin Chia-lung had called for strengthening cooperation with countries like the Philippines. In response, Marcos Jr. said: While we are geographically close to Taiwan and have long-standing economic and trade ties, he emphasized that the Philippines adheres to the One-China Policy and manages relations with Taiwan’s authorities within that framework.

This statement is essentially standard diplomatic language. Marcos Jr. has previously reiterated this position multiple times. However, when it comes to more specific details, he has almost never provided further elaboration.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873496444902409/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author