President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. considered China’s threats to detain ‘trespassers’ in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) an act of escalation.

In an interview with members of the media on the sidelines of his state visit to Brunei Darussalam, Marcos described China’s threat as a different policy and a worrisome development.

“The new policy of threatening to detain our own citizens, that is different. That is an escalation of the situation. So, yes, it is now very worrisome,” Marcos said.

Marcos made the remarks when asked to react on China’s four-month fishing ban in the South China Sea, including parts of WPS.

He said China’s action is “just an extension again of their claim that this is all the maritime territory of China.”

Marcos declared there are some sorts of a middle ground with China to ensure peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“Yes, of course, there are,” Marcos told the Philippine media delegation in Brunei when asked if there are meetings or backchannel efforts to resolve WPS issues.

The President said the government is exhausting all remedies to bring progress in resolving the issues ? to stop China’s aggressive actions and to allow Filipinos to fish in WPS. Presidential News Desk