UN General Assembly
1979

80. The stark underlying fact of life in South-East Asia today, with dire implications for us and most assuredly the rest of the world, is the build-up of the rivalry among the great Powers, but particularly the Sino-Soviet rivalry. It has of late reintroduced tensions fully as dangerous in their consequences as any that have ever existed in the region. We simply seek to state a fact and trace its consequences, not to impute any motives. The Philippines is and will remain a friend to all parties involved. Neither do we say that the events that we speak of are wholly to be ascribed to this rivalry. The tracing of cause and effect is never a complete process in human affairs, but that such a rivalry did play an important part in or behind these events seems to be an inescapable conclusion.