The invasion of Ukraine demonstrates that there are rogue states like Russia, which create tensions in the world. These rogue states are considered threats to world peace and regarded as very dangerous to many nations. Under this definition, such countries may include North Korea, Iran, Syria, Iraq and lately, Russia. In Southeast Asia and in the East, judging from its behavior in the South China Sea (SCS) or West Philippine Sea, we may regard China as a rogue country. China, indisputably the military and economic power in the Asia-Pacific region, has been acting like a bully to its small and powerless neighbors. It’s been throwing its weight and size around to impose its devious intentions.
China makes no bones of the fact that it wants to establish control over the South China Sea so that it will have sovereignty over the disputed islands and dictate the rules of navigation in the area. Trillion dollars worth of trade and commerce and oil pass through the contested sea-lane every year, not to mention the vast marine and mineral resources deposited in its water and seabed. There are substantial oil and gas reserves underneath its waters, enough to ignite a conflagration among its claimants.
One potential flash point that may trigger a shooting war between the Philippines and China is the conflicting claims over Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, a traditional rich fishing ground for Filipino fishermen. Not too long ago, the Philippine government sent a patrol ship in the area to assert our control over the place but China intercepted it and maneuvered closely to our vessel to obstruct its passage. Following the near skirmish, China warned the Philippines against “interference” with its own patrols of the area. The Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed that “China has sovereignty over Huangyan Dao (the Chinese name for Panatag Shoal) and its adjacent waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters.” The Chinese spokesman admonished the Philippines to “earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and rights and interests, abide by China’s domestic law and international law, and avoid interfering with the patrol and enforcement of the China Coast Guard in the above-mentioned (Panatag Shoal) waters.” Oddly, China had the temerity to issue such a warning despite the ruling of the International Arbitral Tribunal in 2016, which recognized that the disputed area belongs to the Philippines. China continues to reject the ruling and blatantly disregards international pressure to respect the decision. Filipino fisher folk who belonged to PAMALAKAYA defiantly declared that “Beijing has no right to dictate who can stay and who will be ejected from the seas that they have no legal and political claim.” China has unceasingly harassed our fishermen from fishing in our own waters.
This incident was not the first reported close encounter between the patrol boats of the two countries. China’s encroachment is a clear violation of international law as it may result in collision at sea. Last year, several hundreds of Chinese vessels occupied the Spratlys for several months. It was also reported that in November 2021, Chinese coast guard vessels water-cannoned Philippine boats that were bringing supplies to BRP Sierra Madre, a military outpost docked at Ayungin Shoal. There were many reported instances when Chinese naval crafts prevented and drove away Filipino fishing boats from their traditional fishing grounds within the Philippine territory. The most blatant display of naked power was when China seized Scarborough Shoal from us in 2012 through the use of military force. It was an arrogant show of might over right. China should be reminded that its newly found status as a global power comes with great responsibility. If it wants to become the leading player in the new world order, particularly in the East where it has become the acknowledged superpower, it must show respect to the members of the world community. It must observe comity among nations and follow international laws. It cannot arbitrarily set its own rules and trample the rights of other countries.
China’s arrival as the dominant military and economic power in the world, instead of instilling inspiration to its fellow Asians, has been greeted with suspicion and serious concerns among its neighbors with the sole exception of North Korea. China has not hesitated to use its might and money to pressure individual states to yield to its demands. For instance, China, in the case of Taiwan, has repeatedly committed incursions on the tiny island’s airspace and bullied the country militarily.
Following Ukraine’s attack by Russia, there is a genuine fear among the Taiwanese that China may be harboring plans to invade their country. If that occurs, what will stop China from resolving the SCS conflict by force, instead of resolving it through peaceful means? That may draw us to a war that we cannot win unless our allies, particularly the US, come to our succor. Despite its preoccupation with the war in Ukraine, the US maintains that it remains focused on its Asia-Pacific agenda to foil the looming threat of China’s hegemony in the region. During his talk with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore during the latter’s visit to the White House, President Joe Biden assured Singapore and Southeast Asia that the US shall be undistracted by the Ukraine war and shall forge ahead to pursue its Asia-Pacific strategy to counter the increasing military and economic clout of China in the region. We need the US presence to deter the growing China threat, which has destabilized the security in the SCS. All claimants of the disputed Spratly Islands should form a military coalition with friendly countries like the US, Western Europe, Japan and Australia to frustrate China’s ambition to control the SCS. It will not necessarily be an Asean-NATO but more of a mutual defense pact where coalition countries will come to the aid of each other in case a member is attacked by an enemy force. It is to everyone’s interest to keep SCS open and free for navigation. The freedom of passage and unimpeded flow of trade and commerce in this vital sea lane are critical to the economy of the world.
This is a critical moment in our history with Russia invading its neighbor, China threatening Taiwan and its Southeast Asian neighbors, and North Korea provocatively engaging in saber rattling. We need a leader who will not yield to foreign domination and protect our national interests and territorial integrity. We want a president who will oppose any rogue state that perpetuates aggression and tyranny against another state. This coming election, let’s not elect a Manchurian candidate who will be a puppet of a foreign master. That will be a national tragedy of catastrophic proportion!