LOC11:17
08:17 GMT
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 29 (KUNA) -- President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos said that his country is in the "frontline" to protect its maritime territories, and will not cede "one square inch."
In a speech at Australia's Parliament, quoted by Australian and Filipino media, Marcos said that "the challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield."
He added that China has rapidly grown its naval forces in the past few years, and snatched vast tracts of maritime territory.
He described the spread of Chinese warships across the South Sea of China as "deeply concerning", noting that "the Philippines now finds itself on the frontline against actions that undermine regional peace, erode regional stability, and threaten regional success."
"I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory," Marcos said.
During his visit, Marcos and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese signed a memorandum of understanding on enhancing maritime cooperation and agreements on technology and cyber cooperation. (end)
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