MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged China to provide advance notice if rocket debris from its space launches is expected to fall within Philippine territory.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Media forum in Bengaluru, Marcos said the Philippines has no interest in China’s rockets and has offered to retrieve any debris and return them to Beijing.

“It’s not the first time that this has happened. And, actually, if you look at the incidents, they did not commit any violations. There have been no casualties,” the President said, referring to the suspected rocket debris from the Long March 12 rocket that fell near Palawan on August 4.

“We just wish that perhaps they could warn us a little earlier so that we know the path of the rocket, where the path is and kung magbibitaw sila ng stages kung saan babagsak,” he added.

Marcos recalled that during his visit to Beijing in 2023, he offered Chinese President Xi Jinping the Philippines’ assistance in recovering fallen rocket debris.

“I remember in my trip to Beijing early on, that I told President Xi, ‘You know, we have no interest in your rockets. Just tell us where they will land, we will collect it and give it to you,” Marcos said.

“And that continues to be my offer to China. Hindi n’yo kailangan agawin sa amin ‘yan. Saka anong gagawin namin d’yan? Sabihan nyo kami kung saan dadaan yung rocket. ‘Pag may babagsak, kukunin namin sa dagat tapos dadalhin namin sa inyo. Wala namang problema,” he added.

“The good side to all of this, wala naming casualty. Wala naming tinamaan. Hindi naman nagka-problema,” Marcos said.