TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Philippines cannot remain neutral in a conflict between Taiwan and China, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said in an interview published Saturday.
Speaking to One News PH, Teodoro said, “We have Filipino citizens in Taiwan, which we need to get out.” He added that “logically speaking, any (Chinese) action against Taiwan will involve the northern Philippines to challenge our hold over the Bashi Channel.”
Teodoro said China would also try to blockade parts of the Pacific Ocean to halt regional shipping, including in the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca, and other strategic chokepoints. This would affect other countries, he said.
Teodoro called China’s military and gray-zone actions in the Indo-Pacific “unilateral and unreasonable.”
“This should be a clear signal to our people that the threat is real. The intention is not good at all,” he said.
The defense secretary said the military must build more bases across the country to “secure the exclusive economic zone and other areas.” He added that “defense is more (about) avoiding conflict through deterrence.”
Teodoro’s comments came after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in May that the country would inevitably be involved in a Taiwan Strait conflict “because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan.”
Marcos added that the Philippines was urging Taiwan to seek a peaceful solution to cross-strait tensions. Despite his concerns, Marcos said the Philippines would not intervene in the Taiwan issue.
