Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday his country would inevitably be drawn into any war over Taiwan due to its proximity to the island and the fact that are large numbers of Filipino workers there.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry then said that "'geographic location' and a 'large volume of Filipinos' in Taiwan should not be used as pretexts to interfere in the internal and sovereign affairs of other countries," urging the Philippines "to earnestly abide by the One China principle" and "refrain from playing fire on issues bearing on China's core interests."

When asked to respond to Beijing's outcry, Marcos said: "I don't know what they're talking about, playing with fire? I was just stating facts. We do not want to go to war, but I think if there is a war over Taiwan, we will be drawn, we will be pulled in whether we like it or not, kicking and screaming."

"We will be drawn and dragged into that mess. I hope it doesn't happen, but, if it does, we have to plan for it already."

Two Chinese boats collide while chasing a Philippines patrol boat

Also on Monday, a Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while pursuing a Philippines patrol boat in the South China Sea.

President Marcos told a news conference that the Philippines' coast guard, navy and other vessels defending its territorial interests in the South China Sea would never back down in the disputed waters.

"The (China Coast Guard vessel) CCG 3104, which was chasing the (Filipino coast guard vessel) BRP Suluan at high speed, performed a risky maneuver from the (Philippine) vessel's starboard quarter, leading to the impact with the PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navy warship," Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson Jay Tarriela said in a statement. The PLA is the official term for the Chinese military.

"This resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel's forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy," he said.

Gan Yu, a Chinese coast guard spokesperson, confirmed that a Monday confrontation had occurred while not specifically mentioning the collision.

"The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away," he said in a statement.

Why are China and Philippines clashing over South China Sea?

It's the latest incident in a long-simmering dispute in the waterway, a key global trade route, where claims between China and the Philippines have intensified in recent years.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to parts of the waters.

Relations between China and the Philippines have been strained after President Marcos, who assumed office in mid-2022, and his administration emerged as vocal critics of China's actions in the South China Sea.

The Marcos administration deepened its treaty alliance engagements with the United States and began bolstering security alliances with other Western and Asian countries like Japan, Australia, India and some EU member states.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery