Philippine president tells Australia their strategic partnership is more important than ever

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has told Australia’s Parliament that the strategic partnership between the two nations is more important than ever with the rule of law and peace in the region under threat from China. Marcos told a special joint sitting of the two chambers on Thursday during a state visit that the Philippines would not allow a foreign power to “take even one square inch of our sovereign territory.” It is a declaration he has often repeated since taking office in 2022 and refers to China’s disputed claims to the Philippine territory in the South China Sea. Australia and the Philippines for the first time conducted joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea in November last year.