Chinese experts say Marcos' 'clarification' another attempt to provoke on Taiwan question, FM remarks 'by no means misinterpretation'
Global Times
By Feng Fan Published: Aug 11, 2025 10:02 PM
Following his reckless remarks last week about China's Taiwan region which drew strong rebuke from the Chinese side, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has continued his wrong narratives by claiming he was misinterpreted by so-called "propaganda purpose" of China.
Chinese expert noted that Marcos' Monday remarks precisely showed that he is still attempting to play with fire on Taiwan question, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry's response to his claim is by no means a misinterpretation.
Marcos Jr said on Monday that China had "misinterpreted" his remarks suggesting Manila would inevitably be drawn into a Taiwan conflict if it erupted, Reuters reported.
"We are, I think for propaganda purposes, misinterpreted," Marcos made the improper comment at a press briefing, according to Reuters. His remarks were in response to the Chinese Foreign Ministry's comment on his statement that the Philippines would be "joined into" conflict over Taiwan between China and the US if an all-out war broke out across the Taiwan Straits.
On Friday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged the Philippines to "earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the spirit of the China-Philippines Joint Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations, and refrain from playing with fire on issues bearing on China's core interests."
Marcos' earlier remarks were "extremely dangerous" as they fanned the flames on the Taiwan question, and his so-called clarification—framing China's response as "propaganda purposes"— simply created more noise, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.
Marcos repeated his previous reckless remarks he made during a visit to India last week, saying that Filipinos living and working in Taiwan would have to be evacuated if a conflict arose but maintained that he wished to avoid confrontation and war. "War over Taiwan will drag the Philippines kicking and screaming into the conflict. That is what I was trying to say," Reuters quoted him as saying.
However, Chinese experts argued that Marcos was making excuses for his inappropriate remarks, particularly by citing the large Southeast Asian population in Taiwan. "This is not the first time Marcos has made improper comments on the Taiwan question. While he now says the presence of many Filipinos in Taiwan would require evacuation in a conflict, other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam also have large communities on the island. This is no justification for making irresponsible statements on the Taiwan question," Xu said.
The Philippines has repeatedly played with fire on the Taiwan question, provoking China and adding to regional instability, Ge Hongliang, deputy director of the College of ASEAN Studies at Guangxi University for Nationalities, told the Global Times on Monday. "Regardless of how Marcos tries to defend his words, he is still attempting to interfere in China's internal affairs and provoke China."
Beyond the Taiwan question, Marcos has recently spoken on the South China Sea issue. He claimed the Philippines will strive to conclude a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea when it chairs the ASEAN next year, during a podcast on Friday, according to the Philippine Presidential Communications Office.
Marcos also claimed that the Philippines was ready to defend its "territorial integrity and sovereignty" in the South China Sea, according to the office.
Expert noted that current Philippine administration's assertion to advance COC has own ulterior motivation.
China is among the main advocators for developing a sound COC in the South China Sea, which is likewise the goal of most ASEAN members. However, the Philippines cannot on the one hand continuously provoke and create incidents, inviting extraterritorial forces to undermine regional stability, while on the other hand claiming it seeks to push for the conclusion of the code during its term as ASEAN chair, said Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
By openly promoting COC consultations, Marcos aims to achieve several objectives: to project an ostensible commitment to peace and stability in the South China Sea while masking and legitimizing Manila's maritime provocations; to rally ASEAN members for support during its chairmanship; and to use the process as cover to cement the illegal "2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea", Ding said.
As the first political document signed by China and ASEAN countries on the South China Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) has established the basic principles and common norms for the parties to handle the relevant issue, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in 2022.
The COC consultations have maintained good momentum and achieved continued progress since its launch in 2013, according to People's Daily.
Although Marcos claimed the COC would set rules to prevent conflict and halt tension-causing activities such as vessel collisions and building artificial islands, the Philippines continues to provoke disputes in the South China Sea.
China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said on Monday, the Philippines sent multiple coast guard and official vessels, under the pretext of delivering supplies to fishing boats, to forcibly intrude into waters near China's Huangyan Dao, despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from Beijing. "The China Coast Guard took necessary measures, including tracking, interception, and expulsion, in accordance with the law. The on-site operations were professional, restrained, and lawful," Gan said.
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