Review policy of appeasement on China, Drilon urges
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday pressed the Duterte administration to review its policy of appeasement and accommodation on China, saying such a policy does not translate into better economic and trade relations with Beijing.
Citing Vietnam as an example, Drilon said that despite their aggressiveness and confrontational approach toward China over the South China Sea issue, the Chinese foreign direct investments (FDI) to Vietnam in 2017 was at a whopping US$42.170-billion, which compared to the Philippines is a measly US$31-million.
“I think the government should review the policy of appeasement and accommodation on China. As you have mentioned, we have recently seen the increasing militarization in South China Sea, the bullying of our fishermen, the destruction of our corals in the Scarborough Shoal. And now we see that the government TV stations will air in Tagalog, Chinese culture, etc.,” Drilon said in a press conference in the Senate.
“To me, this is all part of a foreign policy adopted and it’s a slant of this administration not to confront China. The President, as the one having primacy in our foreign affairs has chosen a policy of maintaining good relations with China and put in the backburner the arbitration award in favor of the Philippines,” the minority leader pointed out.
But the Senate minority chief asserted that records would show that the Philippines is lagging behind Vietnam in terms of direct investment from China.
‘Direct investment very minimal’
“But the record indicates it is not succeeding. The FDI – not pledges – coming from China, is very minimal. In 2017, the FDIs from China were only $31 million, as contrasted to Japan with $600 million, and the US with $160 million. Compare these to the FDIs coming from China as an investment in Vietnam,” he pointed out.
Drilon said he chose Vietnam as an example, since it has chosen to confront China on the South China Sea issue. The FDIs Vietnam got from China, he said, “indicates the non-connection between the policy of appeasement and economic benefits, as shown in Vietnam’s policy of confrontation which yielded more positive results.”
Lower bilateral trade between PH, China
Drilon, likewise, expressed dismay at lower bilateral trade between the Philippines and China as compared with Vietnam and China. In 2017, bilateral trade between the Philippines and China was US$21.94 billion, while those of Vietnam and China amounted to US$71.85 billion.
In terms of tourist arrivals, the number of tourist arrivals of Chinese in Vietnam, in 2017, was at four million, while the Philippines only experienced one-fourth of the Chinese tourist arrivals in Vietnam.
Appeasement and economic relations “Therefore, this indicates that the appeasement of China does not necessarily result in better economic relations with China. On the other hand, the more aggressive assertion of Vietnam of its rights in the South China Sea has not resulted in a diminished economic relation with China. On the other hand, they benefitted,” he pointed out.
“Here, there is empirical evidence that such appeasement does not necessarily result in better investment in our country. Here, it is not getting any better; it’s getting worse,” he stressed, citing the controversial landing of a Chinese military aircraft in Davao City recently.