In the latest demonstration of military might and dominance over the high seas in the West Philippine Sea, China, through its coast guard, performed for the umpteenth time dangerous maneuvers at Ayungin Shoal that nearly resulted in a collision with Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel BRP Malapascua.
The Philippines accused the Chinese Coast Guards of aggression and bullying tactics following last week’s incident.
In response, China claimed that the incident was caused by “premeditated and provocative action” by the Philippine Coast Guards.
In a statement, the United States slammed the move of the Chinese Coast Guards as provocative and unsafe threatening regional peace and stability even as it violated the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law. It further said that such unprovoked action of China undermined the rules-based international order.
In an earlier bullying incident in February this year in the same Ayungin Shoal, the Chinese Coast Guard “deliberately” beamed its strong military-grade laser to the crew of BRP Malapascua causing temporary blindness to the crew.
As a consequence of such episode, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., summoned Chinese Ambassador Xilian Huang to convey to the Chinese government his “concern” against the repeated unwanted and unprovoked actions against the Philippine Coast Guards and the Filipino fisherfolk.
A new flash point of conflict has aggravated the rift and tension between China and the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea. Expanding the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA sites as an adjunct to the Mutual Defense Treaty or MDT gives access to the United States in additional places in Cagayan and Palawan to reposition its station, forces, and build warehouses for their equipment and weaponry, has exacerbated their already volatile relationship.
The expanded sites in Cagayan are about a hundred kilometers from the Taiwan Strait. To the mind of China, the Philippines is assisting the US to strengthen its military position by supplying the latter with staging posts for its military action against China should the latter finally push its avowed objective of retaking Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province. The US has publicly declared that it is against China’s invading Taiwan expressing its support for the latter’s independence and sovereignty.
The Chinese Ambassador advised the Philippines “to unequivocally oppose ‘Taiwan Independence’ rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if it cares genuinely about the 150,000 overseas Filipino workers.”
Of course, PBBM has declared that the Philippines will not allow the US to use the EDCA sites as a staging station for any military action. The question is will the US even even ask permission from us? Its history of aggression and domestic interference to pursue its national and global interests is too pronounced to ignore.
Our diplomatic relationship with China which started during the presidency of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, the father of PBBM, was never impaired until the time of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III when territorial claims between the countries surfaced and the hostility reached its boiling point when China occupied Scarborough Shoal and built its military fortress on the artificial island to secure its claim of the seas. Our winning of the suit we filed against China in the International Arbitration Court cemented that conflict. While former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte charmed his way to China’s graces, it remained steadfast on its adversarial position on its “nine-dash line” claim over the vast South China Sea, completely ignoring the arbitral ruling as a “mere piece of paper.”
There appears to be no force on earth that could implement that arbitral decision. The Philippines does not have the military might to enforce it. Its traditional ally, the US, is all blusters. The International Arbitration Court is impotent to implement its award, and so is the United Nations. What are we to do?
Perhaps not interfering with the internal conflict between China and Taiwan will be a welcome development for the former. However, as long as we have the MDT and EDCA with the United States, such non-interference is an illusion.
If we forgo those international defense agreements and expand our trade relations with China, enhance our cultural ties, and deepen our friendship, perhaps China would begin to treat us not only as a neighbor country, a true friend, and most of all as one belonging to the Asian race. We do that and we become genuinely, not rhetorically, a friend to all and enemy to none.
The path to that journey is not hard to hurdle. Let us not forget that generations of intermarriages between our two races have evolved a uniquely caring and loving racial mix.