Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos warned Monday that his country would be dragged "kicking and screaming" into any war over Taiwan, but must prepare for it.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan, Manila's closest neighbour to the north, to be part of its territory and has threatened to seize it by force.

"If there's a war over this it is near us. What are we supposed to do?" Marcos told a news conference, adding: "We can't ignore it."

"So inevitably, despite our fervent wish to avoid any confrontation with anybody, anywhere, a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines, kicking and screaming into the conflict," he said.

"I hope it doesn't happen... But if it does we have to plan for it already," he said, citing the large numbers of Filipinos working in Taiwan.

In an interview with Indi

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