How can we ever hope to resolve differences diplomatically if China’s position is immovable? China is too big an elephant in the room to ignore. We’ve had centuries of good trading and people-to-people relations. The favorite “sukis” of my family in Bacolod were the Chinese-owned bakery, restaurant, department store, hardware store and cinema. Many of our friends are Chinoys. I bet you most of us in this hall have a bit of Chinese blood. So do the Tausugs of Sulu. But, for now, the reality is that China’s in the grip of its hawks who crept into the pinnacles of power when its civilian leadership was found wanting during the term of Hu Jintao. Xi Jinping is of a different mold, who concurrently heads the powerful Military Commission on top of his presidency and head of the 7-man Politburo. He is an enigma though – Is he a reformer and builder in reality out to tame the hawks, or a megalomaniac at heart in partnership with the hawks? Time will tell whether he will choose to return to peaceful rise, or use war as an instrument to unify his constituents and force the world to either revolve around it or groan beneath its weight. Because the situation and future are murky, uncertain and unpredictable, we must for prudence sake prepare for the worst and work for the best outcome no matter how long it takes. We must take the long view, steel our resolve and get ready to meet any threat from anyone that endangers our wellbeing.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 09:28:38 +0000