EDITORIAL
There are at least two things that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. discussed in his historic keynote address at the 21st International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31 that are new to the ears of his Filipino audience.
First is Marcos’ dissection of the current geopolitical lay of the land—or lay of the waters, to use a novel term that has been used before. Marcos unveiled “seven realities” or challenges that are blurring the way for a united community of nations.
After this, the President cited the three guiding constants for nations in dealing with future challenges.
This exposition that shows a sample of his intellectual prowess proved that Bongbong Marcos is indeed a chip off the old block. He inherited from his father, President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, the thorough intellectual work that goes behind every public speech, and the incisive and compelling delivery of such content. No wonder the international audience in Shangri-La Singapore, which was composed of leaders of nations, defense establishments, defense business community, media and the like, listened intently at his engaging speech.
“In the midst of these significant shifts, I see seven realities in the Indo-Pacific,” President Marcos told the delegates of Asia’s top defense forum attended by Singapore’s officials including President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, IISS Executive Chairman Sir John Chipman and representatives of other nations around the globe.
The first reality, according to President Marcos, is that the future of the region will be determined by many nations. He said each of them has its own unique experiences and aspirations. “Yet their respective agencies are being challenged by attempts to undermine our faith in prevailing international norms,” the President added.
The President identified the second reality as the strategic competition between China and the United States that is permeating the evolving regional landscape. Their rivalry is constraining the strategic choices of regional states. Their contest is exacerbating flashpoints and has created new security dilemmas.
Third, the region looks to ASEAN as the institution that should hold the center amidst these evolving dynamics, although problems threaten the unity and centrality. Fourth, as geopolitics continue to permeate the global governance architecture, the role of bridge-builders has become increasingly important in forging decisive multilateral solutions.
Fifth, the global commons will continue to be crucial to the security of all states in the region. Access of developing countries to the high seas and outer space, and to the peaceful uses of science and technologies, is crucial to international development.
The sixth reality is that climate change remains a deadly challenge for the region and for the world. It is the first truly global threat. “For the first time, we face a crisis that affects every single human being on earth and requires action from every single human being as well,” he stressed.
Seventh, the development of advanced technologies is rapidly transforming human life and experience. These technologies will solve many of our old problems, but they are so powerful that they also have the potential to disrupt our political and our social orders.
“These seven realities muddle the waters that we have to navigate in our collective journey as a community of nations. We cannot reverse course. We must persevere. We must push through,” President Marcos said.
The Philippines President also named the three guiding constants for nations in dealing with future challenges. First, the sovereign equality of states must remain sacrosanct. Second, ASEAN and ASEAN-led processes must remain central. And third, the rule of law and the integrity of multilateralism must prevail.
“We need to begin by resoundingly rejecting misguided interpretations that paint our region as a mere theater of geopolitical rivalries,” President Marcos declared.
Finally, Marcos’ reference to the community of nations’ journey to peace through three historic meetings or summits that brought forth peace accords was a fitting finale—the reaffirmation of the wisdom of San Francisco in 1945, of Bangkok in 1967, and of Manila in 1982.
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