The administration of President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos will pursue a "critical engagement" with China despite the dispute over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), incoming National Security Adviser (NSA) Clarita Carlos said on Thursday. Carlos, a former University of the Philippines professor, said she discussed the Philippines' relationship with China during a lengthy meeting with Marcos on Wednesday prior to her appointment. "You mentioned the magic word 'critical,' yan ang isa sa mga napag-usapan namin ni President Marcos (It's one of the topics that we discussed with President Marcos)," she said.

Cueto, F. E., & Ismael, J. J. (2022, June 10). PH to pursue 'critical engagement' with China. The Manila Times, pp. A1, A9.