Is The Philippines Really Seeking Peace With China?

World Future Online
February 12, 2012

Is The Philippines Really Seeking Peace With China?
By Kazi Mahmood

The Philippines called for more U.S. troops to land on its territory with the double aim of strengthening the U.S. presence in the country and to give a sign to China that it will not back down to Beijing’s perceived threats.

It was recently reported that the Philippines, instead of raising the tempo against China’s call for economic sanctions against Manila, had called for a peace truce with the large Chinese nation. However, it was Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s statement that raises more concern on the true intentions of the Philippines. The Filipino minister urged Beijing to ‘fully concur’ with ‘Manila’s stated position’ on the ‘West Philippine Sea’ issue.

This indicates that the Philippines intends to see China bow to its ‘stated foreign policy statement’ on the South China Sea which the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea.

A recent editorial in the Global Times, which is published by the Communist Party of China’s mouthpiece the People’s Daily, said China should impose sanctions on the Philippines for offering to allow more United States troops on its soil.

The deal reached during the ASEAN meeting last year in Bali did not stipulate that the Philippines should not allow more U.S. troops on its soil if it wanted to resolve the Spratly issue amicably with China. Nevertheless, it is not a secret to Manila and to the U.S. that more American troops in the Philippines only means a scaling up of the conflict by Manila and Washington. It simply means challenging China’s natural rights in the South China Sea altogether.

Rosario’s statement, which looks like an offer for peace, is intended to put China into a difficult position in which it will be seen that Beijing is not settling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, which is a nasty attempt indeed.

It is obvious that China would lash out at the Philippines for its U.S. troop reinforcement at a time when the Spratly conflict was supposed to be dealt with diplomatically. It is not surprising that the Global Times said Beijing “must respond” to the move by using its “leverage to cut economic activities” between the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.

China should also consider “cooling down” business links with Manila, asserted the editorial published in the Chinese and English versions of the newspaper.

“It should show China’s neighboring areas that balancing China by siding with the US is not a good choice. Well-measured sanctions against the Philippines will make it ponder the choice of losing a friend such as China and being a vain partner of the US,” it also said in the editorial that appeared during the north Asian country’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday.

Washington has planned to increase its military presence in the Asia Pacific in a strategic shift that has angered Beijing.

In October, Del Rosario dismissed as “grossly irresponsible” a Global Times warning that nations involved in territorial disputes in the South China Sea should “mentally prepare for the sound of cannons,” if they remained at loggerheads with China.

Del Rosario had also pointed out that the statement was “in contrast to the Philippine position which seeks an Unclos [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]-based solution to the West Philippine Sea issue.”

China is aware that the Philippines has been urged to allow the U.S. to reopen its former bases in the Clark Air Base and Subic Naval base.

In that strongly worded editorial published in its Chinese and English editions, the Global Times accused the Philippines and Vietnam of taking advantage of China’s “mild diplomatic stance” to push their own agenda.

“If these countries don’t change their ways with China, they will need to mentally prepare for the sound of cannons. We need to be ready for that, as it may be the only way for the disputes in the seas to be resolved,” the paper said, adding that “if the situation turns ugly, some military action (by China) is necessary.”

While the Philippines is crying wolf against China, its alarming rate of military escalation against China is seen as a threat to peace in the region by several experts contacted by Wfol.tv.

Earlier, Rosario had made it clear that the Philippines would ‘accept’ a greater US military presence on its territory to help ‘defend’ its interests and ensure peace in the region.

Reference:

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120131-325020.html