CANBERRA
\nPhilippine President Ferdinand Marcos told Australia\u2019s parliament his country was on the \u201cfrontline\u201d of a battle for regional peace Thursday \u2014 pledging resolve as he sought support in maritime disputes with China.
\nWith Beijing\u2019s warships detected in waters off his country\u2019s coast, Marcos told Australian lawmakers that \u201cthe Philippines now finds itself on the frontline against actions that undermine regional peace, erode regional stability, and threaten regional success.\u201d
\nHe vowed to remain firm in defending his country\u2019s sovereignty.
\n\u201cI will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory,\u201d Marcos said to loud applause.
\n\u201cThe challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield.\u201d
\nPhilippines authorities this week said they detected Chinese navy vessels around the Scarborough Shoal \u2014 an area seized by Beijing in 2012.
\nChina has claimed the shoal and swathes of the South China Sea as its own, ignoring regional objections and an international tribunal ruling that the claims have no legal basis.
\nIt has long deployed coast guard and other vessels around the Scarborough Shoal to prevent Philippine access.
\nBut Marcos has called the deployment of warships a new and \u201cworrisome\u201d development.
\nThe South China Sea is strategically vital for several countries, providing a key route for the import and export of essential fuel, food and other goods.
\nThe Philippines and other countries \u2014 backed by the United States \u2014 have argued the waterway should be free and open.
\nChina has rapidly grown its naval forces in recent years, and snatched vast tracts of maritime territory, hoping to project its military and political power well beyond the country\u2019s shores.
\n\u201cThe protection of the South China Sea as a critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional peace. And I dare say of global peace\u201d Marcos said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CANBERRA Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos told Australia\u2019s parliament his country was on the \u201cfrontline\u201d of a battle for regional peace Thursday \u2014 pledging resolve as he sought support in maritime disputes with China. With Beijing\u2019s warships detected in waters off his country\u2019s coast, Marcos told Australian lawmakers that \u201cthe Philippines now finds itself on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":390666,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-390647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n