China’s continued ‘occupation’ and refusal to leave—despite diplomatic warnings from the invaded country and its allies—is tantamount to taunting a war with its neighbors, who it perceives as weak economically, militarily, socially and psychologically.
China sees that its friendship with the president of the Philippines is enough invitation to occupy, invade, exploit to exhaustion, and subdue the hearts and minds of the citizens. It believes that its ages-old influence in the Filipinos (in business, cuisine and commerce because of its cheap but inferior quality goods and services) are the ingredients to its abominable domination of the people and the country.
Its continued utter disregard for international maritime laws—where territorial waters within the West Philippine Sea (which China still calls China Sea to continue getting psychological claim over the territorial waters within the 200 mile economic zone of the Philippines—is its way of taunting the neighbors to engage in an open armed exercise (which it knows it has an edge) so that global allies of the Philippines can soon participate in the maritime war challenge so that, once and for all, China can demonstrate its supremacy in this aspect.
This bully must be stopped at all cost especially through economic means. Let us all—as a nation and as a people—stop buying from China. Its food and beverage, its cheap toys that are toxic to our children, its industries and machineries and pharmaceutical products (including Sinovac and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, which it flaunted to us as donation in exchange for its stealing and encroachment over our rich fishing grounds which it is determined to deplete and eventually ruin so that it can build more structures to house its bursting population).
Why is our neighbor in ASEAN—Vietnam and the others—whose waters are also being invaded by China able to fight off the invading Chinese fishing boats by burning them. Yet, China the bully, has not retaliated by firing at them. Why the cowardice of our leaders? The bully must be fought before its head becomes even bigger than it already is. We can not just lamely react by carefully- crafted words so as not to displease the bully. It had shown its ugly head so must we hide under our skirts? Sheer cowardice would just embolden China even more.
Look at what China is doing with Taiwan, a rich nation which it continues to claim because of its economic power and a bold leadership that cares for its united people. China is bullying Taiwan no end, but Taiwan will not kowtow to its desires and vowed to “fight China until the very last.” Perhaps our leaders (if the President’s friendship is a deterrent to this thinking of fighting off China then the legislators, the military and police and other people) can display that brave front against the bully on behalf of our country.
Just recently the Chinese fishing vessels on Julian Felipe Reef drove away a fishing boat that had television crews of ABS-CBN who were documenting the area. If the Chinese “fishermen” (who have been trained as militia by the Chinese military) can do this with a media entity on board, how much more for a fishing vessel with ordinary Filipino fishermen in them.
Of late, the United States has been warning China against its increasingly aggressive moves with the Philippines and Taiwan, reminding Beijing of Washington’s obligations to its partners. Even Japan has been vocal in denouncing China’s aggressiveness with its Asian neighbors.
"An armed attack against the Philippines' armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
"We share the concerns of our Philippine allies regarding the continued reported massing of PRC maritime militia near the Whitsun Reef," Price said, referring to the People's Republic of China.
More than 200 Chinese boats were first spotted on March 7 at Whitsun Reef, around 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Palawan Island in the contested South China Sea, although many have since scattered across the Spratly Islands.
China, which claims almost the entirety of the resource-rich sea, has refused weeks of appeals by the Philippines to withdraw the vessels, which Manila says unlawfully entered its exclusive economic zone.
Tensions have also risen with Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of China, with the self-governing democracy on Wednesday reporting that 15 more of the mainland's planes crossed into the island's air defense zone.
Price voiced "concern" about the Chinese moves, saying: "The United States maintains the capacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan."
He was using language from the Taiwan Relations Act, under which the United States is obliged to provide the island with the means to defend itself against Beijing.
President Joe Biden has vowed a robust defense of allies and, in a rare point of continuity with his predecessor Donald Trump, has supported strong pushback against Chinese assertiveness.
China, which claims almost the entirety of the sea, has refused repeated appeals by the Philippines to withdraw the vessels, which Manila says unlawfully entered its exclusive economic zone.
"As the situation (in the South China Sea) evolves, we keep all our options open in managing the situation, including leveraging our partnerships with other nations such as the United States," Philippine defence department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said Thursday.
Andolong's comments came after the United States reminded China of Washington's treaty obligations to the Philippines in the event of an attack in the waters.