MANILA -- The Philippines has been working on ways to avoid being “trampled” by two competing superpowers— the United States and China, as the country walks a fine line between them, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. told an international newspaper.

Interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, President Marcos said the Philippines is increasing its cooperation with the US and developing mechanisms to defuse tension with China amid the intense geopolitical rivalry in the Asia Pacific region.

The President cited an African proverb, which states: When elephants fight, the only one that gets trampled is the grass.

“We are the grass in this situation. We don’t want to get trampled,” the chief executive pointed out.

The Philippines is in the front line, President Marcos said, noting that 150,000 Filipino nationals live in Taiwan and that the southern port city of Kaohsiung is 40 minutes away from the northernmost island of Batanes.

The Philippines is also in a territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea, with the Asian giant claiming it almost in its entirety.

During his recent visit to China, President Marcos said he proposed to Chinese President Xi Jinping that an existing bilateral team responsible for tackling South China Sea incidents be upgraded to include senior officials on both sides with direct access to the countries’ respective heads of government.

The Philippines is in a very precarious balancing act, considering its bilateral ties with the two countries. China is one of the country’s largest trading partners, while the US and the Philippines have a longstanding defense treaty.

In a separate interview with the Financial Times, President Marcos confirmed he expected intensified military relations with the US, with more US troops and military assets rotating through the Philippines.

The Filipino leader also said the discussion about defense cooperation with Japan is continuing and that his government is trying to put together Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

President Marcos ruled out, however, the reopening of the former US military bases in Clark and Subic, saying it was against the country’s Constitution to allow foreign bases on its soil. (PCO)