For the Philippines to bring the Chinese threat before the United Nations is repeating the shortsighted initiative done by the Aquino administration. This move does not only worsen the crumbling position of the Philippines in the South China Sea but also drags the United Nations’ sphere of influence into a quagmire despite The Hague’s decision that backed the Philippines’ claim overwhelmingly.
It isn’t a game-changer after all; rather, it is a spillway to a game over of a possible productive relationship with the world’s second-largest economy.
The five-manned Arbitral Tribunal received a tremendous thwack on its face when China with conviction and no-fear backlash disregarded the decision the court made.
Then, what happened? The previous administration might just be wasting our resources for the sake of national pride and absent of intelligent thinking that the Aquino administration just went on diplomatic arrogance—a signature of the United States’ brand of diplomacy adjusted through times that became its real threat.
Bringing Chinese threat before the United Nations is PH interest?
President Duterte, in a tactical perspective and being fully aware of the country’s military and national security status quo, could have no other safe choices but to leverage China’s interest. Of course, China has multifaceted plans should the Philippines either shift its course away from the expectation or tend to dig a pit behind to eventually checkmate China.
But as far as the status quo of the Philippines is concerned, we could play as China’s nearest brother leveraging it in the process and hoping something valuable or helpful the Philippines would be gaining out of it.
Diplomacy is about winning friends rather than collecting enemies and cold wars. If by eventuality a certain country appears to be a bully, a reality check must always be in the forefront when making decisions. And in a country like ours, a leader with a comprehensive understanding of marketing may be more likely effective than those with a doctor of laws and politics. In the perspective of global marketing, leveraging is the name of the game-changer, and change is the key or your business may die.
Running a country is maybe more like engineering the marketing aspect of the business. Each decision you will make based on the application of the marketing mix may be a hit or a miss in the target market for both politics and geopolitics.
Well, if we do listen to the opinions of the legal luminaries, the soothsayers, and the “envelopmental” politicians to bring this Chinese threat before the United Nations, then what’s next? A laughable move down to the core!
China may never give in their historical claims over some islands in the South China Sea no matter what happens and whatever price it pays. If working together with China would address more advantages to our country than continue working with the US in the pretext of the long-established relationship yet made the country still in a backward state, then cooperating with China would be the best game-changer the Philippines should try looking forward to it. ▲
Since 2011, Regel Javines has been writing online, sharing news and analysis on a range of noteworthy and urgent social issues. He completed his bachelor’s degree in office administration at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)—Taguig Campus, where he also served as editor-in-chief of the official school newspaper. See Regel’s published articles here.