President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged on Monday the Indo-Pacific community to ensure that the “great powers” do not treat the world as an “arena for their competition,” saying that pursuit for power must not be at the expense of smaller states or of regional and international peace.

“We, in the Indo-Pacific, must ensure that great powers do not treat the world as an arena for their competition,” President Marcos decrlared at the Lowy Institute on the sidelines of his participation to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, Australia.

President Marcos was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the Lowy Institute where he shared his views on the Philippines’ perspective on the so-called “great power” rivalries.

President Marcos is the first Philippine President to speak at the Lowy Institute.

He said that “the pursuit of the great powers’ respective strategic goals must never come at the expense of the interests of smaller states, nor of regional and international peace” as he underscored the importance to “put things into the proper perspective.”

“Great power rivalries constitute only one of several storms that render turbulent the waters that confront humanity’s common journey at this crucial juncture,” President Marcos said.

“In addition to widening geopolitical polarities and sharpening strategic competitions, we are also confronted with uncertainties posed by transformative technologies and the existential threat of climate change, even as persistent inequities and inequalities within and among our nations remain unresolved,” he added.

Amid all the “challenging global tides,” President Marcos emphasized that the rules-based international order is the only “ballast stabilizing” the “common vessel.” PND