Pushing the envelope

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was spot-on when he said at the 43rd ASEAN Summit that the narrative of the West Philippine Sea conflict as a "strategic competition between two powerful countries" denies the Philippines' sovereignty.

China has repeatedly warned the Philippines against being drawn into its fray with the United States as it has advised neutrality while dangling financial assistance that has mostly proven to be mere fantastic pledges.

It was yet the strongest rebuke by Marcos of China as he underscored that the Philippines, for its "own legitimate interests," has taken measures that include engaging more closely with its historic partner, the United States.

In his remarks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit Retreat, Marcos spoke of a "critical juncture in the history of our region" due to the escalation of regional security threats and the transformation of the global economy.

China has issued statements warning the Philippines about escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea after the latter expanded the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement by making more military bases accessible to United States forces.

In his address, Marcos mentioned the recent Camp David meeting that created the trilateral alliance among the US, Japan and South Korea to secure the Indo-Pacific, which China considers among the measures the Americans have taken to contain it.

In what sounded like an allusion to the US, Marcos also said: "We cannot emphasize enough that actions, not words, should be the ultimate measure of our commitment to securing peace and stability in the South China Sea. Anything else simply does not suffice."

Another double-bladed statement was his citing the challenge "that we must never allow the international peaceful order to be subjected to the forces of might apply for a hegemonic ambition."

Premier Li Qiang, representing China at the summit, warned the ASEAN leaders against stoking another "cold war" in the region.

Li stressed that neighbors should treat each other with "sincerity."

Which, ironically, should be said to China instead.

In several instances, China has used its might to aggressively press its maritime claims, resorting to what is referred to as a gray zone tactic, which falls short of armed confrontation.

"Sincerity is the key that opens the heart and trust is the bridge that opens the mind," Li said.

Ironically, China uses its historical claims to further its expansionist aims, while Marcos refers to history as the ultimate judge of what should prevail in the disputed area.

"History will ultimately judge whether the supremacy of the rule of law prevails, ushering in an era where all nations truly stand as equals, independent and unswayed by any single power," Marcos declared.

Marcos said the Philippines will continue coordinating with other countries regarding obeisance to the rules-based international order.

To pursue what is mandated by international law and order, Marcos said the country commits itself to the continued exercise of the freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed waters.

Using diplomatese, Marcos expressed his frustration over the failure of the proposed Code of Conduct on the South China Sea to make substantial progress.

In his way, he said, "We are pleased that at the last negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea held in Manila a few weeks ago, some progress was made in discussing the milestone issues and a preliminary review of the Single Draft Negotiating Text."

In layperson's terms, the nearly two-decade-old negotiations for a CoC remain stuck on the parameters for discussion, which means that the contentious issues are not yet on the table.

China has imposed ridiculous conditions to access the CoC, expressing its preference for bilateral dialogues with the claimants.

Marcos is upping the ante in China, which is responding more aggressively in the conflict area.

Our national security is tied to what will happen next since China is known for responding in kind to whatever is thrown at its claims, however twisted they are.

The country's honeymoon with China has long been over.