South of China, west of Philippines
“There will come a day during my term that we will talk about the arbitral ruling (on who owns the South China Sea), but now is the time to talk and be friends.”
That was what President Duterte said to President Xi Jinping – the former revealed this during the International Business Forum of the Times, where Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua was also present. It sounded sincere as it was entrancing.
One can’t help but feel that the brick wall between China and the Philippines may have indeed been shattered, or the differences and pain caused have been set aside, at least for the meantime. The Chinese ambassador expressed optimism about the future of the relationship that he talked about substantial infrastructure projects in the country to be financed or aided by China.
He even talked about the estimated 1,000,000 Chinese tourists, given the green light by Chinese authorities of course, who would come to the country this year.
The country’s tourist spots, in his view, may not be prepared to absorb that number. Hotels are insufficient, the tourists line up to dine in restaurants, he said, and there is nothing to buy but dried mangoes. Even the dried mango supply dries up.
We will tackle these tourism issues another time. This Sunday, what I want to dwell on are the little acts of political kindness that can slay the giants of militarization and occupation. The president’s act of not asking for anything now until we mend relations with China is astute, but is also an act of kindness. The Chinese ambassador’s thoughts on how the Philippines can leverage more on its opportunities, and suggestions delivered without conditions or pretense, are an act of kindness.
They give reprieve from territorial disputes and the room to dwell on the merits of the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – Chinese-led projects that can improve trade and develop relations among participating countries.
The MSR is a trade route that runs from within different parts of Asia to the Mediterranean Sea and parts of Europe. It requires investing in and developing ports in countries along the corridors, thus securing passage and fuel supplies, vessel repairs, and logistics support from those countries.
The AIIB, with its seed funding coming from China, has 50 founding member states. It aims to support infrastructure development in the Asia-Pacific region.
The obvious though must be said – these initiatives based on cooperation and collaboration would work only in an environment of peace. They do not work in wartime.
The most immature thing about adults who occupy global positions of power is that they threaten to do the thing they dislike to do the most. When North Korea recently test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile with some potential, countries, whether allies or embroiled in cold wars, condemned it. The US, Russia, China, Japan, and the UK, among others, told North Korea to stop it.
So there. We all want peace after all, don’t we? So why doesn’t everyone do more acts of political kindness that can lead to pacts to demilitarize regions, withdraw foreign troops in foreign land, along with an intense accord to act as one against terrorism?
On the dispute involving south of China, west of Philippines, why can’t the ASEAN push an accord as well to ban militarization in the islands and military positioning there for China, the US and everyone else? Then there would be more time and resources to alleviate hunger and abject poverty in communities across the region.
Less shrewdness, more sincerity. Less hubris, more humanity. Less bullying, more respect. These little acts of political kindness are the key steps, or skips or hops, that can shorten the thousand-mile journey to lasting inclusive prosperity. They are like the little acorns from which the sturdy oak trees of security and peace can grow. Maybe little acts of kindness at the south of China, west of Philippines will yet help competing nations find their true north.
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Alexander B. Cabrera is the chairman and senior partner of Isla Lipana & Co./PwC Philippines. He also chairs the Tax Committee of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP). Email your comments and questions to aseasyasABC@ ph.pwc.com. This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors.