The Philippines refuses to be reduced to a mere bystander as geopolitical tensions surrounding world superpowers China and the United States of America (USA) continue, President Marcos said.

Marcos said this as he addressed the Australian think tank Lowy Institute on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne on Monday, March 4.

In his speech, the President said the Philippines understands that widening geopolitical polarities around the world and the sharpening strategic competition between China and the USA have become a reality permeating the regional strategic environment.

However, he cautioned against "overemphasizing" this reality as this reduces other countries to "mere pawns."

"Such undue emphasis tends to subsume the legitimate rights and interests of countries like the Philippines, Australia, and other ASEAN member-states into the interest of the so-called 'major countries' as if we are mere pawns with no strategic agency," Marcos said.

"It also obscures our judgment. It distracts us from calling out aggressive, unilateral, illegal, and unlawful actions for what they are— attacks against the rule of international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations," he added.

President Marcos said the future of the Indo-Pacific region should not be dictated by just two key players and that all stakeholders must engage one another.

"The future of this region will be shaped not by one or two but by many actors, and they will each demand that their voices be heard individually and collectively, as indeed they should be," he said.

"Thus, the Philippines begins any conversation regarding great power competition with a strong rejection of any subordination of our distinct national interest and denial of our sovereignty and strategic agency," he added.

According to Marcos, countries must deal with China and the US "constructively," given their role in regional security.

"We acknowledge the undeniable importance of the People's Republic of China and the United States of America to the security situation and the economic evolution of this region and of the world. We must deal with both of them constructively," he said.

"We must not allow this so-called "great power rivalry" to distract or hinder us from the pursuit of peace and development," he added.

The President said that the Philippines would continue acting responsively in line with its increasing potential as it inevitably rises in global standing.

Ties with the US

Marcos said the Philippines' dealings with the US are of its own volition and are rooted in a long history built upon shared values and mutual respect as equal and sovereign partners.

"The Philippines is the oldest treaty ally of the United States in Asia. We forged this alliance by our own choice, and we continue to strengthen it by our own choice," he said.

"Our alliance has been a pillar of regional stability for decades, and we all need for it to continue to be a force for good in the coming years," he added.

Despite this, the President rejected notions that the Philippines is at the US beck and call, especially when it comes to affairs about the South China Sea.

"The Philippines acts for its own interest, and the decisions that we make when it comes to foreign policy are decisions that we make because we believe and are convinced and know that it is in the national interest," Marcos said.

"It is not a policy that has been foisted upon us by any country. It is something that we have come to on our own. It is a conclusion that we have arrived at by ourselves," he added.

Ties with China

Meanwhile, President Marcos said the Philippines' dealings with China are founded on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

"Our independent foreign policy compels us to cooperate with them on matters where our interests align, to respectfully disagree on areas where our views differ, and to push back when our sworn principles such as our sovereignty, our sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea are questioned or ignored," he said.

He, however, lamented China's continued rejection of the South China Sea Arbitration Award of 2016, which he said should be affirmed and consistently upheld.

"It is unfortunate that despite the clarity provided by international law, provocative, unilateral, and illegal actions continue to infringe upon our sovereignty, our sovereign rights, [and] our jurisdictions," Marcos said.

"This pattern of aggression obstructs our path towards ASEAN's vision of the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and of prosperity," he added.

Despite this, the President said the Philippines remains committed to the cause of peace and the peaceful settlement of disputes and will continue to utilize dialogue and diplomacy despite "serious difficulties."

"We will continue to engage China bilaterally and through ASEAN-led mechanisms to address our differences at sea," Marcos said.

"We are determined to make our bilateral mechanisms with China work and we will leverage our bilateral mechanisms with other claimant states towards the peaceful management of disputes," he added.