'No Choice': President Marcos Says Philippines Could Be Drawn Into Taiwan Conflict Due To Proximity

Key points

• 'No Choice': President Marcos Says Philippines Could Be Drawn Into Taiwan Conflict Due To Proximity Published By, Last Updated: May 19, 2026, 11:28 IST Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
• has said the Philippines could be drawn into any Taiwan conflict because of its proximity to the island.
• A file photo of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
• (Reuters) Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said the Philippines would likely be involved in any potential conflict over Taiwan because of its geographic proximity and the large number of Filipinos living and working on the island, according to a Bloomberg report.
• “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan," Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday ahead of his state visit to Japan next week.