Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, February 29, 2024. REUTERS/Kirsty NeedhamPhilippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr told the Australian parliament on Thursday he would not allow any foreign power to take "one square inch" of the country's territory, and that Manila was firm in defending its sovereignty. Australia and the Philippines began their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea in November, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive China, which claims the entire sea as its own. "I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory," Marcos said in the address. The South China Sea is a conduit for more than $3 trillion worth of ship-borne commerce each year, and is a major source of tension between the Philippines and neighbour China.

Source: The Standard February 29, 2024 15:54 UTC