China’s One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR). Photo:
defenceaviationpost.com
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Philippine President Rodrigo Dutete finally coming around to the
realization that Communist China is not really our friend? A recent
article by Richard Javad Heydarian in the Asia Times says that Duterte
reiterated his “earlier threats that Beijing's activities in contested
South China Sea areas could soon tilt towards armed conflict.”
It is
high time that the Philippine president view China’s friendly overtures
with a generous amount of skepticism. China’s promised largesse towards
Manila soon after the UN arbitral tribunal’s 2016 ruling in favor of the
Philippines, hasn’t quite happened according to both Chris Chappell of
China Uncensored, and Alvin Camba of the South China Morning Post.
In
his article titled: What happened to the billions China pledged the
Philippines? Not what you think, Cambia notes “China’s US$24 billion
commitment to the Philippines, comprising US$15 billion in foreign
direct investment (FDI) and US$9 billion in aid, has barely materialised
since an agreement in October 2016 in which the funds were committed.”
So far, only US$1 billion of the US$15 billion in FDI, and US$75 million
of the US$9 billion in aid, has been disbursed.
Chappell’s YouTube video shows a clip of Duterte’s February speech to
the Filipino-Chinese business community where he asks China in
frustration “Why are you so sparing? If you want, just make us a
province like Fujian so everything will be free.” His audience, which
included the Chinese ambassador, laughs at the president’s humorous
offhanded remark.
However, what is no laughing matter, appears to be China’s dismissive
attitude towards the Philippines. Duterte, who gave up more than most
Filipinos would have wanted, in favor of closer ties with China, has
been left holding the bag—an almost empty bag.
At
this point in time, maybe it is best that Duterte not press China to
make good on its promises. Given the disastrous experience of many other
countries that received Chinese loans and investments, Duterte should
just leave well enough alone.
Cambodia, Djibouti, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, to
name just a few, are finding out that Chinese funded projects benefit
China and saddle the borrowers with debts difficult to repay. In fact
China’s One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR) might as well be renamed One
Belt One Road—One Onerous Debt initiative. So Filipinos should count
their lucky stars and be thankful that at this stage, their exposure
to China's loans and investments are still minuscule. It is best they stay
that way.
Duterte must now focus on getting back the islands in the South China
Sea that belong to the Philippines. In a recent Inquirer article,
Vincent Cabreza notes that “Several world powers have been asserting
what the Duterte administration has refused to invoke: the 2016
international arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims
over the South China Sea and legitimized the Philippines’ maritime
territory.”
Quoting Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, the Inquirer states “The
United States, France, Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan have
deployed naval ships and airplanes near the Philippines’ exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea in response to China’s
militarization of the Spratlys.” Carpio told his Baguio City audience: “Let
us not kid ourselves. China built those military bases in the Spratlys
to enforce the nine-dash line—to grab 80 percent of our EEZ.”
If
Duterte wants people to believe the tough-guy, Punisher, image he
tries to project, he needs the Philippines to join the other countries
in their freedom of navigation excursions in contested waters of the
South China Sea. Filipinos must stand up for their rights and not depend
on others to fight their fight. As president, Duterte must show some
spunk and lead the way.
Published 8/26/2018 |