China’s ifs: The sweetness and madness of a political promise

BY JUMEL GABILAN ESTRAÑERO

IN my foreign service classes, I always tell my students who are majoring in diplomacy that if there is a longstanding statement like a rose is a rose is a rose, then a promise is a promise is a promise. China on March 27 assured President Duterte of its commitment to a “bilateral mechanism” and a code of conduct that would prevent territorial disputes in the South China Sea from erupting into conflict. According to the presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua told Mr. Duterte during a meeting in Davao City that China was looking forward to the convening in May of the first meeting of the bilateral mechanism set up to handle the South China Sea dispute. Yes, another development in the negotiations and floating offers from both sides with promises of investment and security.