TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Philippines would give the U.S. access to its military bases if a Taiwan Strait conflict broke out only "if it is important for us, for our own security," Jose Manuel Romualdez, Philippine ambassador to the U.S., said in an interview with Nikkei Asia on Monday (Sept. 5).

"We want to ask both countries to lessen the tension by having more dialogue and then trying to resolve all of these issues, because it's in our part of the world," Romualdez said. "Nobody wants to have any kind of war or confrontation," he added.

Manila has a neutral stance with regard to Taiwan, Nikkei reported, and observers are eager to see whether Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr., the incumbent president, will cooperate with the U.S. if China attacked Taiwan during his six-year term.

Marcos has so far taken a far sterner approach to China relations compared to his predecessor. "I will not preside over any process that will abandon even one square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power," he said in his first State of the Nation address in July.

In June, the Philippines government called on Beijing to "cease and desist from displaying illegal and irresponsible behavior, avoid further escalating tensions at sea and immediately withdraw all of its vessels from Philippine maritime zones," according to Reuters.

Romualdez said Manila is currently negotiating with Washington to increase the number of Philippine military bases that U.S. forces can use. The bilateral Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement inked in 2014 lets the U.S. maintain a rotating military presence at five Philippine bases and allows it to construct and operate facilities on Philippine bases, for both American and Philippine forces.

"Our military and the military of the United States are all looking into what are the possible areas," Romualdez said, adding that they may include a naval base. The ambassador said he hoped these decisions could be made “in the next three years.”