President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday called for continued dialogue and maximum restraint as he expressed concern over soaring tensions in Taiwan.

Marcos made the remark in a speech at the Asia Society forum in New York, where he stressed the importance of maintaining channels in order to come up with a peaceful resolution of issues.

“We urge all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint. Dialogue and diplomacy must prevail,” said Marcos.

“We adhere to the One China Policy and have consistently called for the peaceful resolution of the issues involving Taiwan,” added Marcos, referring to the diplomatic acknowledgment of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government.

Tensions over Taiwan are spiking over a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which has further strained relations between Washington and Beijing.

Amid the tensions, Marcos committed to upholding peace and pushing for partnerships with its neighbors.

“We will continue to work toward strengthening ASEAN, particularly its dialogue partnerships with neighbors that uphold regional peace and security,” said Marcos.

Peace and security took center stage in Marcos’ historic speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, where he reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the fundamental principles of the United Nations of preserving peace, security, and stability among nations. (PND)