China Urges Philippines to Avoid Meddling in Taiwan Tensions Following Marcos' Conflict Comments

During a state visit to India in the week of the report, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that the Philippines would inevitably be drawn into a potential conflict involving China and the United States over Taiwan. Marcos cited the country’s geographic proximity and the presence of a large Filipino community in Taiwan as reasons, telling Indian broadcaster Firstpost, "If there is an all-out war, then we will be drawn into it… There are many, many Filipino nationals in Taiwan and that would be immediately a humanitarian problem."

On Friday following these comments, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded statement warning Manila “not to play with fire” and urging the Philippines to uphold the One China principle. The ministry said, "Geographical proximity and large overseas populations are not excuses for interfering in others’ internal affairs," and dismissed Marcos’ justification as undermining international law and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) charter. Beijing maintained that such remarks could destabilize regional peace and harm Philippine national interests.

China continues to assert that Taiwan is part of its territory and a breakaway province, a position rejected by Taipei. Diplomatic tensions between China and the Philippines have been rising in recent years due to territorial disputes in the South China Sea, with incidents at sea involving ramming, water cannon use, and confrontations with weapons such as spears and knives.

Earlier in the same week, Philippine officials also condemned the launch of a Chinese rocket, alleging that suspected debris fell near a western Philippine province, posing threats to local ships and aircraft and alarming residents.

The exchange over Marcos’ Taiwan comments marks another escalation in the strained relationship between Manila and Beijing.