Divide and conquer: China’s tactical gambit

There has been no let- up in China’s campaign of disinformation and misinformation, claiming that secret deals were made like a supposed “gentleman’s agreement” over the West Philippine Sea. It would seem this is China’s new game plan in our country.

Recently, there’s this purported recording of a telephone conversation between an unnamed Chinese diplomat and a high-ranking Philippine military official regarding a so-called “new model” for managing the situation in Ayungin Shoal where Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels have been harassing Philippine vessels on resupply missions and intimidating Filipino fishermen as well.

The Chinese even came out with a transcript of the alleged phone conversation where the military official supposedly said the “new model” was approved by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and another individual whose name was redacted.

But as pointed out by Gen. Brawner, the audio recording could be a deepfake because technology has made it easy to manufacture fake audios and videos, like that video that made it appear as if President Marcos was ordering the AFP to take military action.

Defense Secretary Teodoro has strongly denied the existence of this so-called new model, calling it “another falsehood” meant to divide Filipinos and steer the attention away from their unlawful presence and actions in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“This charade must stop,” Secretary Teodoro said, adding that he finds it curious that this latest pronouncement from China comes on the heels of the meeting in Honolulu between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Secretary Teodoro where they all expressed serious concern about China’s “repeated obstruction of Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and the disruption of supply lines to Second Thomas Shoal, which pose dangerous and destabilizing behavior.”

US Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo, the new commander of the Indo- Pacific Command whom I’m meeting this week in Washington, has warned that the world faces “a complex problem set in the troubling actions” of China and its rapid build-up of forces. “We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and expansionist claims in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said, adding that China’s grey-zone tactics are aptly described by Gen. Brawner, who called it “Illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive.”

Despite all these Chinese provocations, President Marcos has been getting praise and admiration for his calm and unwavering determination to uphold our sovereignty and, more importantly, do what is right for the Philippines and its people. While he continues to find ways of engaging with China and is willing to cooperate with them in areas where our national interest aligns, he made it very clear he will “push back when our sworn principles, such as our sovereignty, sovereign rights and our jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea are questioned or ignored.”

The government’s transparency initiative has also raised public awareness about China’s aggression and bullying in the South China Sea and has gained support from likeminded nations who believe in a rules-based international order, with more countries deploying warships to the IndoPacific, among them Germany and France, who want to maintain peace and stability in the region.

China’s growing influence is also triggering concern and worry among Southeast Asians, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Singaporebased ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s ASEAN Studies Centre. A large majority of respondents – 74 percent – who all came from ASEAN member-nations, said they were worried (or not welcoming) of the rising Chinese influence in their countries.

I came across an opinion piece titled, “Chinese invasion unstoppable” written by Bernie Lopez, who brought attention to a statement by the late Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal about a prophecy by the Blessed Virgin Mary to a Filipino nun in Lipa, Batangas in October 1949: “Pray hard, for China’s dream is to invade the whole world. The Philippines is one of its favorites.”

Sadly, we have a few in our midst who dismiss this. But make no mistake – China is going through great lengths to pursue its maritime expansion agenda in the South China Sea, and the Philippines is firmly in its sights. Disturbing news have been coming out lately about the influx of Chinese students with questionable documents enrolling in local schools and universities, taking English courses when they can’t speak the language, with some of them even posing as Filipinos.

And then there is this mayor from Tarlac whom Senator Risa Hontiveros suspects of being a trained Chinese asset because she seemed to have just popped out of nowhere – she only registered for a birth certificate when she turned 17 in 2013 and has no school records to show, making her personal background very dubious. Despite being a virtual unknown, she won in the 2022 elections with no visible source of campaign funds.

The senator also disclosed this mayor’s connection to a POGO complex that was raided for alleged human trafficking and suspected of housing mercenaries allegedly engaged in espionage and hacking of government sites. We highly commend Senator Hontiveros for consistently exposing these issues and bringing them to public awareness. She is doing a great service to our country and the Filipino people.

I just hope thinking Filipinos will see through China’s new mantra of divide and conquer. We are facing formidable challenges as a nation – with some people unfortunately allowing themselves to be used by the Chinese as pawns. More than ever, we should all stand united and reject the lies and disinformation propagated by those whose agenda is clearly to divide us.

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