The Philippines and Vietnam are exactly on the same boat navigating the turbulent waters of the South China Sea.
Both countries, among other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), are claimants to certain features in the SCS, with China as the dominant claimant. China has in fact established its presence in their sea, with legal and historical claims of sovereignty going back to the 1400s.
Vietnam and the Philippines both have strong ties with the United States, the superpower whose global influence has been eroding due to its leaders’ undoing.
China is presently challenging that position of global dominance that the US has held for more than a century now.
This gives Vietnam and PH the same challenge—how to balance its relationship with the superpowers.
With the way the PH’s President, senators, congressmen and even provincial mayors are acting and issuing statements, it looks like the country is taking the incendiary, confrontational path against China.
Vietnam, now a progressive nation, has a lot of lessons to advise the PH, if it cares to listen.
Vietnam has its Four Nos defense policy. No partaking in military alliances. No siding with one country to act against another. No foreign military bases in the Vietnamese territory or using Vietnam as leverage to counteract other countries. And no using forces or threatening to use force in international relations.
Here’s the take of Dr. Le Hong Hiep of the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute on Vietnam–China relations:
- “While Vietnam tries to promote economic cooperation with China, it also pursues political and cultural cooperation.”
- “Vietnam is ready to stand up against China in the South China Sea. But for now, Vietnam prioritizes economic development.”
- “Vietnam seeks to protect its economic cooperation with China from disputes in the South China Sea.”
- “Vietnam tries to compartmentalize disputes from its overall relationship with China.”
The DFA recognizes these truths. We just hope that President Marcos and our senators and congressmen would be open-minded as to consider the Vietnamese experience.
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