Marcos says talks on Taiwan Strait ‘unavoidable’ at ASEAN Summit

LABUAN BAJO—It seems inevitable that the issue of the tension in the Taiwan Strait will be discussed when leaders meet for the 42nd ASEAN Summit, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.

Marcos told reporters that the discussion on the matter was unavoidable as ASEAN member-states were concerned over the issue.

"Parang inevitable, eh. Unavoidable ‘yung subject matter na ‘yun dahil pare-pareho na mga miyembro ng ASEAN. Siyempre, it is a grave concern to all the member-states of ASEAN," Marcos said when asked if Taiwan would be tackled during the Summit.

“So it's considering that we also agree on the concept of ASEAN centrality when it comes to regional concerns that will be one of the most important subjects that we'll bring up,” he added.

Marcos said the matter has been a point of discussion for a long time, noting that there is a need to calibrate measures to address this.

“The discussions on that we had goes to a year ago, in that time marami nang nagbago, many changes occurred, that it why we have to really calibrate whatever it is that we are planning,” Marcos said.

“So, yes, there's no way around it. That will inevitably be a part of the conversation that we'll be having tomorrow and the day after,” he added.

During his trip in Washington, Marcos and US counterpart Joe Biden have expressed the need to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

In a joint statement of the two leaders following their meeting at the White House, it was said that they have affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.

Tension has escalated between the US and China due to the issue in Taiwan. Beijing has continuously claimed Taiwan as its own territory.

Marcos responded with an outright "no" when asked if the United States government requested Filipino soldiers to be deployed to Taiwan once tension escalates. —NB, GMA Integrated News