Chewed by China
We are a few minutes away from a Chinese attack.
That was the harsh conclusion driven home by the lecture of Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, as he walked us through China's unceasing quest for expansion and domination in the West Philippine Sea, while perpetuating the fictional Nine-Dash Line claim.
Imagine this. China seized Subi Reef from the Philippines in 1987. Then it gobbled up Mischief Reef in 1995, allowing them the ability to strike Puerto Princesa in 10 minutes, and Manila a few minutes after. Not yet content, China took over the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag) in 2012.
But in 2016, we won resoundingly in the South China Sea arbitration, where an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines against China's unacceptable expansionary acts. We celebrated, and got international attention for the romantic David versus Goliath story. All's well that ends well, right?
One would have thought China's resounding defeat as the result of the international arbitration would have dampened China's enthusiasm, but apparently not. Just a couple of years ago, China seized Sandy Cay from the Philippines, and despite the ripple of news it caused, our government made hardly a peep to protest this continued pillaging of our territory.
Meanwhile, while all this was happening, China was also busy seizing isles here and there from Vietnam and Malaysia. And as we all know, China has built runways, barracks, and other military fortifications on those little rocks, so very close to home.
Why would it need these hostile installations? The message it has been busy giving our government is to help protect us, the Philippines, as its neighbor. Our president has assured us that indeed, the president of China himself has likewise assured him that China is here to aid our country, and even protect him. I guess that last sweetener was enough to convince him of China's benevolent intentions.
But if the intentions are really benevolent, why seize territory away from us? Why occupy Sandy Cay just this 2017? Is this not a hostile act?
Our own military, unto whom we have entrusted our safety, have tried to soothe our fears. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is quoted in the Business Mirror as saying China is "trying their best to become also a good respectable superpower, so I don't think they will invade the Philippines. Although China is a superpower, it is not their practice to invade other countries, even when they were (in their) heyday during ancient times.”
Err, honorable secretary, perhaps we should remind ourselves of the war between India and China in the ‘60’s precisely over a territorial dispute. Or the one by China and Vietnam in the ‘70’s over the Paracel Islands, which Vietnam is still smarting over.
Let's not forget the constant stress felt by the Taiwanese, who feel as if they will be invaded at any time by their hungry cousin. And the Taiwanese have a legitimate basis for their fears, what with multiple military engagements over the years, with thousands killed as a result. And that war was (and is) driven by a territorial dispute.
Our president has also pooh-poohed the Chinese presence in Sandy Cay, saying that the Chinese are not invading, "they are just there." I am not sure I follow the logic, because if Sandy Cay is part of our territory, shouldn't it be us that should physically be there, instead of another country?
We are a tempting morsel, for sure. I don't think, now that we are at spitting distance, that China will hesitate to gobble us up. Justice Carpio does not espouse war, but what are the other options? Shall we say, "see you (again) in court"? Let's chew on that, shall we?
- Latest
