In addressing the conflict between the Philippines and China, let us remember two things:
1) China has legitimate, historical reasons for feeling vulnerable on its seaboard, 2) small Vietnam has successfully fought against China and other mighty powers in safeguarding its sovereignty.
In the past 2,000 years, China has been invaded repeatedly from the sea: by the Japanese in 1592, 1894, 1898 and 1937; by the British in 1839, 1856 and 1898.
After effectively taking control of the Philippines, Spanish hawks urged the conquest of China. Fortunately that plan fell through. However, in the early 20th century, European powers took advantage of China’s weakness to carve out “concessions” in Chinese cities that were de facto colonies.
Though the communists expelled the imperialists in 1949, they were soon confronted by the United States with a chain of military bases, with two big ones in the Philippines. China has become America’s major creditor, yet some American hawks aim to encircle and ultimately destroy China’s military might. Unfortunately, many Filipinos trust the United States and its policy of encirclement. Small wonder, China looks at us as a naive American pawn.
Let us heed nationalists like Claro M. Recto who pointed out that we cannot be truly independent unless we distance ourselves from the United States and craft our own foreign policy. From the 1950s till the 1960s, Recto warned us about getting dragged into another war with no assurance of immediate American help.
On the other hand, China has indeed invaded territory that is ours. We must resist, lest the Chinese be tempted to grab more. But can we do so? Are we not too small to resist?
The Vietnamese have shown that it is possible. Relying on their own efforts, they drove out the Chinese in 938 and again in 1427; they also defeated the terrifying Mongols in 1288. They defeated the French in 1954, the United States in 1975, and once again the Chinese in 1979.
How did they succeed? Through astuteness on both the battlefield and the halls of diplomacy. We should learn from the brave Vietnamese. While forcefully resisting Chinese incursions, they still manage to attract Chinese investments.
Hopefully, President Duterte can channel his energy into building a strong Philippine military and crafting a nationalistic diplomacy. That will be his legacy. Our nation is divided today. We need a cause that can heal our wounds and bring us together.
FERNANDO ZIALCITA, fzialcita@ateneo.edu