Philippines president says diplomatic efforts with China heading "in poor direction"

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines stated a “paradigm shift” was required in how his nation addresses the South China Sea problem since diplomatic attempts with Beijing were “going in the wrong direction.”

According to a presidential palace announcement, Marcos stated that conventional diplomatic attempts were being ignored by China in an interview with Japanese media on December 16, parts of which were shared with Philippine media on Monday.

“To this point, we have resorted to the traditional methods of diplomacy … but we have been doing this for many years now, with very little progress,” said Marcos, who was in Japan for Tokyo’s commemorative summit with the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN).

“It’s time that the countries that feel that they have an involvement in this situation, we have to come up with a paradigm shift,” Marcos said, while reiterating the Philippines wants to avoid violent conflict.

He stated that his administration would continue to consult with its partners in order to develop a common statement outlining their respective duties in the West Philippine Sea.

The West Philippines Sea refers to the portion of the South China Sea under the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Last week, Manila and Beijing hurled accusations after a collision of their warships near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, as tensions in the key waterway grew.

ASEAN countries Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, in addition to the Philippines, have overlapping claims with China in areas of the South China Sea, which is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis, a ruling the United States supports but Beijing rejects.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.