Lorenzana: US-China rivalry will continue to test Philippines' 'adeptness in balancing relations'

The Philippines' ability to balance relations will continue to be tested because of the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday.

"As for our challenges ahead, the longstanding geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China will surely continue to test our adeptness in balancing our relations in all countries," Lorenzana said at a virtual forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).

Lorenzana pointed out that it is important for the Philippines to continue engaging with China in order to attain a peaceful resolution as regards territorial issues in the South China Sea.

"On one hand, it is necessary for us to continue engage with China, not only for our existing cooperation in various areas but also for peaceful resolution of our competing claims in the South China Sea," Lorenzana noted.

Lorenzana, however, said the Philippines is "mindful of the role of the United States as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region and a counterbalance with China."

In November 2020, Lorenzana warned that the Philippines could get involved if the tension between the two countries will escalate into a "shooting war."

China has been claiming a massive part of the resource-rich South China Sea.

This was despite the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, which delivered a sweeping victory to the Philippines for its case against China.

The US, for its part, has been sending its military assets in the region to conduct its freedom of navigation operation, an attempt to challenge China's territorial claims.—AOL, GMA News