A ‘soft approach’ to Chinese relations
Awhile back I read an interesting piece by columnist Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times called “The Art of the Giveaway” – a title he said he would give the book (if he ever wrote one) about the first year of Donald Trump’s foreign policies. I thought it was an insightful piece and exceptionally applicable to the state of the US president’s handling of foreign relations.
Sadly, I also thought it was applicable to our president and our current foreign policy situation with the Chinese. When President Duterte ran for president he promised a hard stance on international diplomacy and swore to fight for our sovereign rights – at the time our rights to islands in the West Philippine Sea. People appreciated a president who promised to do the difficult thing and deliver results. They were understandably extremely upset that when push came to shove it seemed that Duterte decided to “back down” and turn tail instead.
These days it is obvious that our president has decided to take a “soft approach” when it comes to Chinese relations because he doesn’t want to anger his Chinese friends. And while I commend diplomacy there is a difference between being diplomatic and essentially “giving it away” like Trump has with China and Israel.
Perhaps President Duterte has backed himself into a corner because he has touted relations with China and Russia so much and alienated our more traditional allies that he has now somewhat locked himself into needing to be in China’s good graces. Or perhaps he truly believes that strong relations with the Chinese are necessary for future economic growth. Either way, what we are experiencing with China exerting its muscle on our country’s sovereign rights is not going to be beneficial to the Philippines in the long run and we can all see that.
And if it wasn’t bad enough, now the Chinese have installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems (SAMS) on three of the Philippine claimed reefs in hotly contested waters – a move that has caused alarm not just among Filipinos but among other nations of the world as well. Many have expressed their concern that Duterte is taking too soft a stance on recent developments. He has claimed over and over again that he needs China to implement his various priority programs and has claimed to love Chinese officials because they understand what he is trying to do.
Like Friedman said of Trump, it’s quite sad what Duterte is willing to give to China without getting anything solid in return. Again, I am all for diplomatic negotiations, but there is a limit to what you can give for free and we are reaching that limit quickly. Everyone else sees it, I can’t help but wonder if our president doesn’t or simply just chooses to be blind because it suits his purpose. In the end, when we’ve given it all up for nothing then nothing is exactly what we will get.
The president needs to think long term and amp up his foreign relations in terms of strengthening his position with our other allies as well instead of alienating everyone around us except for China. It’s never wise to put all our eggs in just one basket – which is what he is currently doing with abandon. If things don’t work out we’ll be the ones left with the short end of the stick.
*** I can’t believe that the words “Trump” and “Nobel Peace Prize” are being uttered in the same sentence. It’s ludicrous and whoever thinks that the polarizing US President should be considered for this prestigious award needs to have their heads checked. After all, the Nobel Peace Prize is for those who have truly and tirelessly helped bring peace and unity to the world instead of ripping it apart with racism, hatred, and closed minds.
Trump is the last person to promote peace, as he is too busy pushing his own agenda and looking out for his own interests. He is hardly the inspirational leader deserving of the Nobel Prize and his Republican friends urging the Norwegian Nobel Committee to recognize Trump for his efforts to help “bring peace to the world through trying to solve the North Korean nuclear tensions” is laughable at best and worrisome at worst.
If anyone deserves the prize it’s Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, North and South Korean leaders respectively. They are the real peacemakers. While it’s still early to tell what their historic meeting will mean for Korean relations and for ultimate peace, they are the ones who have made the necessary first steps, not Trump.
*** Another line has been drawn in the sand and by the end of this month, Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox will be expelled from the country on orders of President Duterte who cited her for “disorderly conduct” simply for having an opinion and exercising her basic human right to express it. Because of the president’s push, she was stripped of her visa and forced to leave the country she has been living in for the past 27 years doing missionary work with less fortunate Filipinos.
The fact that the president was so affected by someone simply expressing an opinion on the government is alarming enough as is without the repercussions of him saying that foreigners on Philippine soil have no business “criticizing the government.” That thought is ridiculous. Foreigners don’t lose their civil liberties when they leave their homes. Sure there are limitations on what they can do in host countries – but losing the ability and the right to speak their mind is definitely not one of them.
As another editorial stated, this turn of events is “not just a mistake but an outrage… and a stain on the Filipino character.” How can we truly call ourselves a democracy when we are constantly attacking basic civil rights? Federico Pascual is on leave. His column will resume soon.