Philippines “cannot yield” its South China Sea position, president says

MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday his country “cannot yield” and “cannot waver” on its position in the South China Sea, but it will find ways to de-escalate tensions in the contested waters.

In his State of the Nation Address, Marcos also said “proper diplomatic channels and mechanisms under the rules-based international order remain the only acceptable means of settling disputes”.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores, Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair)