President Marcos said changes in relations with China are already taking place as he signaled openness to joint gas development with Beijing despite ongoing territorial disputes.

“I think it’s certainly going to happen… there’s going to be a very, very serious restructuring,” Marcos said in an interview with Bloomberg.

He added that shifting geopolitical dynamics will lead to a “new normal” in international relations.

“This will have a lasting effect. And there will have to be a new normal,” he said.

According to the President, the Philippines has long been in talks with China on possible joint development of gas resources in disputed areas of the South China Sea.

“That’s something that we’ve been talking about for a great deal,” he said.

“But the territorial disputes will get in the way of that,” he added.

Marcos said the current global situation could push both sides to find common ground.

“Maybe this should provide impetus for both sides to come to an agreement,” he said.

Despite maritime tensions, President Marcos said the Philippines continues to maintain economic engagement with China.

“We’ve always tried to differentiate the territorial disputes from our trade arrangements,” he said.

He noted that China remains a key source of investments and supplies, including fertilizer imports essential to the agriculture sector.

“They have not used this… they haven’t leveraged this in any way,” he said.

Marcos said the evolving geopolitical landscape may require countries to rethink existing systems and agreements.

He cited the need to potentially redraw legal and diplomatic frameworks as global tensions reshape alliances.

The President said these changes could have lasting effects on international relations as countries adjust to a shifting global order.