China shelves great achievements to project cruel side

This refers to the article “PH protests vs China anew” (Second Front Page, 1/15/14), after “Beijing insisted it will regulate fishing in the disputed South China Sea despite protests by neighboring countries.”

It is seemingly an exercise in futility to dissuade an overconfident China to leave the West Philippine Sea. Changing China’s attitude toward life is the key. For many years, China has been known to be modest. But with its rapid economic growth and its reputation as a superpower, it has displayed unprecedented toughness almost to the brink of being narcissistic. China thinks that there is a strong need nowadays to look powerful before other countries. And when criticisms are thrown its way, China appears enraged. The self-image of being powerful seems to be the be-all and end-all of present-day China’s existence, dominating its national consciousness and dictating its foreign policy.

A nation can brag of its abundant wealth and power without being downright arrogant. It is very unfortunate that China has chosen to exude arrogance and relate to other countries with the “my way is the only way of viewing things” attitude, instead of bragging about its remarkable achievements for the past three decades.

I suspect that China relishes showing its cruel side to the world rather than taking pride in once being renowned as a meek and modest nation.

China should reclaim its once highly held values of modesty and tolerance and refrain from being arrogant and narrow-minded.

—REGINALD B. TAMAYO,

assistant city council secretary,

Marikina City