Marcos shifts South China Sea strategy

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. used his Independence Day speech to signal a new diplomatic strategy on the South China Sea, reframing the waterway not as a territorial dispute but as a shared vulnerability among regional nations. Analysts say this approach may allow Manila to keep China's behavior in the regional conversation without triggering direct confrontation. The shift moves away from focusing on warships and water cannons, instead emphasizing collective risk and cooperation. The strategy aims to break what observers call Asean's 'sovereignty deadlock' on the issue.