SINGAPORE — The Philippines President, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., arrived in Singapore on Wednesday, May 29, where he is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the 21st edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, taking place from May 31 to June 2.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to address the Philippines’ stance on pressing global security concerns. In a recent media interview, the President stressed the need for him to ‘articulate the legal and geopolitical position’ of the Philippines on the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines and China have a long-standing dispute over the territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea, with the latter claiming a huge part of the South China Sea as its own, which overlaps with the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
In recent years, the West Philippine Sea has been a flashpoint for military and diplomatic tensions, with the international community, including the United States, expressing grave security concerns over China’s assertive actions, which have raised fears of potential conflict and instability in the region.
“The Shangri-La Dialogue is a very important dialogue because it is a dialogue about security and defence concerns, amongst several foreign ministers, defence ministers.
“I think it is extremely timely that I attend and put forward and articulate the Philippines’ perspectives and outlook on defence and diplomacy while we continue to highlight the Philippines’ commitment to a rules-based international order and constructive multilateralism amidst the current geopolitical challenges that we face in our region,” said President Marcos Jr. in his departure speech at the Villamor Air Base, Pasay City on May 28.
The Philippines President embarked on a two-day state visit to Brunei from May 28 to 29, prior to his trip to Singapore, where he was received by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan upon his arrival at Changi Airport.
During his time in Brunei, President Marcos Jr. engaged in a bilateral meeting with Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding on key areas such as tourism cooperation and maritime cooperation.
While in Singapore, President Marcos Jr. will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and also meet with the newly minted Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“This year, the Philippines and Singapore are celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations and my visit is timely as I will also take the opportunity to invite the new Singaporean President and Prime Minister to visit the Philippines as a testament to our strengthening bonds,” remarked President Marcos Jr who was elected in 2022.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue is slated for evening on May 31. Indonesia’s President-elect and current Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto will deliver a Special Address on Saturday, June 1 in the afternoon.
Special sessions planned for the afternoon on the opening day will be focused on: Deterrence and Reassurance in the Asia-Pacific, Defence Cooperation and Small State Security, and Myanmar: Opportunities for Diplomacy Amid Different Visions for Peace.
The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence summit, is expected to welcome more than 550 delegates from more than 40 countries, including ministers, military leaders and senior officials from the defence and security establishments.