Editor's Note: Almost five decades ago he accompanied his mother on a ground-breaking diplomatic mission to China that laid the foundations of the China-Philippines relationship. As he retraced his way as China's first foreign head-of-state guest of 2023, Philippines President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos sat down with Wang Guan in this Leaders Talk exclusive to introspect the gamut of the bilateral ties and more. Besides the historic meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong as an awe-struck 16-year-old, and the many layers in the China-Philippines relationship, he talks about his country's foreign policy. The long-term partnership with the United States notwithstanding, the Philippines will not be drawn back into the old Cold War formula where one has to take sides. The South China Sea issues can be resolved in a mutually beneficial way with "good friend" China by raising the level of communication, without third-party intervention.