THE recent speech by US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. reassures many Filipinos worried by an increasingly aggressive China, but the Philippines should not be lulled into complacency. Equally important, the Philippines should develop an independent foreign policy on China and other matters.
And that foreign policy should not be based on the assurances of its allies, including that of the United States, whose own policies will shift according to their respective national interests.
As in other areas, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd has yet to articulate his foreign policy. One would think that a clear policy recommendation would have come from the Department of Foreign Affairs, which seems overwhelmed by global events and compelled to merely react to fluid situations. Granted, crises – such as the emergency repatriation of Filipinos in Libya and related events in the Middle East that are still unraveling—deserve proactive attention, fast response and reaction. Other than filing a diplomatic protest in the UN some time ago, the Foreign Affairs department has been largely silent in the “word war” between Manila and Beijing. If at all, the department was merely reacting, leaving lesser informed officials in Malacañang and at the provincial capitol of Albay to make seemingly uncalculated and undiplomatic pronouncements about how to deal with China.
The Philippines should develop its own plan on dealing with China, and not merely ride on the reinvigorated interest of the United States in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). President Aquino and people at the Department of Foreign Affairs should recall that freedom of navigation in these regional waters was not a priority under the previous US administration of Mr. George W. Bush. Freedom of navigation, while an always important policy issue, was tagged by the US as an American national security concern only under President Barack Obama.
Given the continuing economic problems and shifting political landscape in America, the Philippines should not assume that President Obama and future US presidents will always give priority to this region, and if they could, sustain that policy over time. In other words, having the US as a friend and ally is good for the Philippines, but President Aquino and his foreign policy managers should not rely solely on that relationship. When push comes to shove, the US will behave in pursuit of its own national interest. And so should the Philippines. But first, President Aquino and experts at Foreign Affairs should define what that is. Foreign policy should be an extension of domestic policy, but then again, the government also needs to lay out a clear road map for that.
Relations with Washington
For now, the national interests of the Philippines and the US coincide with regard to the West Philippine Sea and to keeping China’s hegemonic tendencies in check. However, it would be foolish to assume that the US would go war with China over disputed territories. The US simply has too much economically at stake in its relationship with China, and vice versa.
In keeping with its national interests, the Philippines should not allow the fear of China dictate the terms of Manila’s relations with the US. One area of concern is the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US. The treaty is under review. Besides military concerns, there are political and legal issues that need to be addressed, such as the custody of American servicemen who violate Philippine laws.
Certainly, the Philippines needs to push for more concessions on the military front. Manila should impress on Washington that the Philippines deserves much more economic and military aid. The challenge for Filipino negotiators is to persuade Washington that a better equipped and trained Philippine military would be more effective in ensuring freedom of navigation in the region.
The Philippines should resist allowing US interests to dictate the possible refinements to the Mutual Defense Treaty. Just because we need American help – and protection – should not mean discarding what might be better for the Philippines militarily and economically. The trick is how to align Philippine interests with that of the US.
Relations with Beijing
President Aquino and his foreign policy experts, especially Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario, should remember that China is also a strategic partner like the US. And in dealing with Beijing, what our officials should keep in mind is neither Chinese nor American interests but Philippine interests.
Notwithstanding the Chinese incursions into local waters and repeated intimidations of Filipino fishermen by China’s navy, the Philippines needs to develop closer ties with the Mainland. A more sober look at the issue of disputed territories should also consider historic and cultural ties of our ancestors (even if they were not yet known as Filipinos) with China that predate colonization of the Philippines by Spain. And on the economic front, China is a giant that presents opportunities in trade and investments.
As with the US, President Aquino and his experts need to figure out how to align Philippine interests with that of China. While the Philippines cannot buckle under China’s expanding interests in the region, we should also learn to gain from this emerging giant.
Meanwhile, the Philippines needs to avoid getting caught between China and US, both of which are competing for influence in the region. For this, greater diplomatic skills are needed.
Hopefully those skills will soon emerge. President Aquino does show some promise. He showed little interest in foreign policy at the beginning of his term. He even fumbled in that arena, most notably in placating China over the death of Hong Kong tourists last year. But after visiting several Asean countries, President Aquino does seem to be hitting his stride.
The issues with China, the disputed territories, relations with the US, and the Mutual Defense Treaty require advance diplomatic skills and sagacity. Those, we hope, will grow soon enough. But the first requirement is an independent foreign policy.
