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China must deal realistically with smaller neighbors
Topic Started: Jan 1 2013, 03:15 PM (819 Views)
AWOL Geek
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http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2012-12/18/content_27447050.htm

By Tim Collard

This week I am writing from the Philippines, a delightful country with a year-round warm climate and lovely, friendly, family-oriented people. It is, of course, a regional neighbor of China and a fellow Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member. The Philippines enjoys a unique mix of cultures; an Asian people with a deep-seated Hispanic and Catholic-Christian ethos, with a lively Americanized surface and an admixture of the Chinese commercial spirit. In the city of Cebu I visited a beautifully-preserved Chinese merchant's house from the 17th century, still lived in by the merchant's Chinese-Filipino descendants; it claims to be the oldest Chinese house outside China.

The Filipinos have their problems, of course. In the recent turbo-charged development of the Eastern Pacific Rim, the Philippines, like Thailand, has been somewhat left behind. It is difficult to establish precisely what makes some countries flourish and others languish, especially if they are in the same geographical region and come from similar economic circumstances. Is it the climate? Yes, it is difficult to establish a culture of hard work among persistent high temperatures - but Hong Kong has done all right. Is it education? But educational standards in the Philippines are fairly high, and so are levels of English. Is it supplies of natural resources? Korea and Singapore never had much of those. As it seems, the Philippines has most of the prerequisites for economic success.

But ask any Filipino why the country has found prosperity so difficult to achieve, and you will always get the same answer - the country is paralyzed by grotesque levels of corruption. Money does not filter down into the real economy in the way it should, creating investments, enterprises and jobs - too much of it is sticking to people's fingers in the process. Jobs are simply not being created in the Filipino economy; this has given rise to an established tradition of Filipinos looking for work abroad. They can be found all over the Middle East, working in construction and as domestic helpers; they man the world's merchant ships; and, in China and elsewhere, they work in the leisure industry as musicians and entertainers. They are not lazy people; there are just no jobs for them at home.

For economic reasons, the Philippines constitute one of China's weaker neighbors. Is it wise, therefore, for them to challenge China in the South China Sea? There have been a couple of provocations and counter-provocations in the last year related to the Nansha Islands, known in English as the Spratlys.

It is clearly silly for the Philippine Navy to be making aggressive gestures in the region. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Spratlys issue, the Philippines are never going to be in a position to mount a naval challenge to China. They certainly cannot rely on US support for any such altercation; and I think they are beginning to realize this now. The various US bilateral treaties covering the region are intended only to deter open aggression, whether from China, from Japan, or from any other power; they are certainly not there to give backing to irresponsible provocations. The US naval presence in the region will serve to rein in its allies, not to encourage adventurism.

As such, de facto Chinese dominance of this region is not a threat or an aspiration, but a simple fact. This being so, China has no need to humiliate her smaller and weaker neighbors by rubbing the fact under their noses. The Philippine Government has recently been agitated by the issue of new Chinese passports making specific references to Chinese sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. Now, I am not here challenging these claims: only wondering whether it is a good idea to emphasize them in this way. Naturally, the governments of the Philippines and Vietnam have responded in rather a preposterous way, refusing to stamp the passports but still having to find a way to validate them. As China knows full well, these countries cannot afford to put real obstacles in the way of Chinese visitors and the money they bring in.

Of course China is in a position to make its neighbors jump about in this rather undignified manner; but was it really a good idea? China's neighbors have to be brought to an understanding of the real position in the region. Whatever sovereignty claims may be outstanding, China will for the foreseeable future be the leading regional power, and its neighbors are too weak to challenge her. Having said that, it would surely be better to try to curb the growth of nationalist resentment among the smaller nations; even if impotent, it will only sour relations and hinder development. China has a perfectly sensible regional policy of "seeking common development while reserving differences," and her neighbors are more likely to benefit from friendly cooperation than by the rattling of puny sabers.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.


~ Sun Tzu
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Santi Kampilan
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This guy came to the Philippines with a terrible misconception. He had a preconceived idea already therefore this write up is badly flawed.

Here are some:
-the Philippines, like Thailand, has been somewhat left behind. Look who's in front and you'll see
- Is it wise, therefore, for them to challenge China in the South China Sea? 'cause we're bullied and stolen from
-There have been a couple of provocations and counter-provocations in the last year related to the Nansha Islands, known in English as the Spratlys. Tell me who started it.
-It is clearly silly for the Philippine Navy to be making aggressive gestures in the region. I think you got that the other way around
-As such, de facto Chinese dominance of this region is not a threat or an aspiration. Then what do you call bullying then?
-Having said that, it would surely be better to try to curb the growth of nationalist resentment among the smaller nations; even if impotent. Then you're not a Filipino
AND HERE IS THE BIGGEST LIE
-China has a perfectly sensible regional policy of "seeking common development while reserving differences," If you think of the opposite, then you got it right.

I WONDER HOW MUCH THIS GUY GOT PAID FOR WRITING THIS "SLANTED" piece of ta_.
Edited by Santi Kampilan, Jan 2 2013, 11:44 PM.
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boxster
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Well to tell you frankly this foreigner like the rest of the chinese communist propagandist are here to demoralize the filipino spirit..perhaps this clowns in the PLA do not know anything about filipino resiliency..awol, for your information we do not buy your propaganda here..you can tell your PLA masters to suck their balls..in the first place it is China who has been provoking our country..you can shove that fake map of yours in your ass..the moment you step on filipino soil will be the biggest mistake of your country..we have enough of colonialist and imperialist in this part of the world..you can take those articles in the trash!
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boxster
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By the way we have read the art of war countless times..so we know how to apply it to you also..get it?!
Edited by boxster, Jan 2 2013, 11:46 PM.
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Hong Nam
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Bought by China

Tim Collard

- 20 years UK Diplomatic service most of it... Can you guess where? China
- Retired diplomat, now working as a columnist / opinion writer.... Can you guess for who? China.org.cn
- Active member of the Labour Party (UK).... Can you guess the orientation of that party?
Originally left-wing, now more like center left. (Still a leftie to me).

I guess with his age he has stopped reading the business and economic news pertaining to the forecast growth of the Philippines.
Thailand being left behind? I'd rather stay in Bangkok than try to survive in that "urban nightmare" they call Beijing. Has he gone to the countryside and actually talk to the rural folk? Spending too much time in China's over populated, polluted, and congested mega cities numbs the mind. Maybe he can travel to rural China and see with his own eyes to how far their own people have been left behind?



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didu
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Collard is a paid chinese hack. Period.
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