Singapore ¨C With Manila¡¯s relations with Beijing sliding into dangerous territory, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has warned Beijing that if a Philippine citizen were to be deliberately killed in a clash with the China Coast Guard, this would be ¡°very close to what we define as an act of war.¡±
Should the incidents in the South China Sea get to that point, ¡°we would have certainly crossed the Rubicon,¡± Marcos said Friday in response to a question after delivering a keynote speech to kick off this year¡¯s IISS Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in Singapore.
¡°Is that a red line? Almost certainly. It¡¯s going to be a red line,¡± added the Philippine leader, warning that Manila would respond ¡°accordingly¡± while its treaty ally, the United States, would hold ¡°the same standard¡± and support the Philippines in any joint action.
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