EDITORIAL -The writing on the wall

The power and influence of the United States in policing the world is slowly slipping. But that is not as frightening as the fact that the United States could be relinquishing that power and influence to China, and not to police the world but to bully it.

Only very recently, China unilaterally declared an air defense identification zone over an area it is contesting with Japan. But an air defense identification zone is just one way of saying it was declaring ownership of the airspace in question.

Shortly thereafter, the United States flew two unarmed B-52 bombers into the zone. At the time of the intrusion, a world aghast at the Chinese bravado promptly cheered the US move and secretly wished the US would launch more intrusions to rile China.

As more facts emerged, however, it became clear the US intrusion was little more than an involuntary hiccup, an ephemeral reflex born of its former self. When China later claimed that it actually scrambled jets and kept the bombers in sight but did not engage, the US offered no answer or rebuttal. It stayed silent.

But the biggest surprise of everyone came much later when the US announced that it has instructed all US commercial airlines with routes that had the Chinese imposed air defense identification zone along the way to comply with the new Chinese rules and submit flight plans and other pertinent data to Beijing.

What a big letdown after the initial euphoria generated by the B-52 bombers intrusion that finally the US was standing up to Chinese bullying in Asia. As it turned out, the much ballyhooed US pivot to Asia is all talk but no substance.

When China deployed its second-hand aircraft carrier, the US again stayed far back, way too far back. But the worst beating China dealt the US was when Chinese President Xi Jinping rebuffed US Vice President Joe Biden on the air defense identification zone. No way Jose, Xi told Joe.

The air defense identification zone is precisely the kind of victory China needed to be emboldened even more. Japan and South Korea, while loathing each other, are individually ready to stand up against China if assured of US commitment, in an environment that requires that commitment in action rather than in words.

As to the Philippines, which stands to suffer greatly with each unrestrained Chinese aggression and non-existent US response, the best thing to do is start preparing for a tomorrow with drastically redrawn territorial borders, and a growing number of Chinese faces as we look to the west.