DIE HARD III / Herman Tiu Laurel / April 30, 2014 / Daily Tribune
For the entire day, Philippine mainstream broadcast media dissected every statement of presidential visitor Barack Obama’s speeches and press conference, looking for whatever they could belabor for days on end — from commitments to counter China’s assertions in the South China Sea to any pronouncement supporting anti-Chinese prejudices among social media and beyond, generated by three years of anti-China demonization from their circle of critics. Instead, what stood out are the high hopes and encouragement that Obama holds for the “peaceful rise of China” and its adherence to the “rule of law.”
Highlighted globally from Mr. Obama were the following: “We welcome China’s peaceful rise. We have a constructive relationship with China. Our goal is not to counter China. Our goal is not to contain China…” and at the press conference that followed, “Well, let me repeat what I said earlier; I think that it is good for the region and good for the world if China is successfully developing … The more they’re able to develop and provide basic needs for their people and work cooperatively with other countries in the region, that’s only going to strengthen the region — that’s not going to weaken it. It’s inevitable that China is going to be a dominant power in this region.” Those words have doused cold China Sea waters to the obviously letdown anti-China rabble-rousers here.
Obama did have words about “international law:” “I do think that… China as a large country has already asserted that it is interested in abiding by international law. And really, our message to China consistently on a whole range of issues is we want to be a partner with you in upholding international law. And I think that there are going to be territorial disputes. We have territorial disputes with some of our closest allies… some islands and rocks in and around Canada and the United States where there are probably still some arguments dating back to the 1800s,” which echo Deng Xiaoping’s words to Cory Aquino to mutually shelve the territorial dispute and engage in “joint development” of the disputed areas.
However, if the anti-China talking heads are thinking that Obama’s reference to “international law” can be interpreted to mean adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they are in for a surprise. The US itself has not signed on to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLoS) and continues to raise many questions and objections to many of its provisions. As we and others have pointed out, the US in fact regularly conducts “operational challenges” to provisions of the UNCLoS such as deliberately sailing through Philippine archipelagic and internal waters, as what the USS Guardian did when it got grounded at the Tubbataha Reef, which is indisputably within Philippine Baselines. As Manila Times writer Ric Saludo said, “What if Chinese vessels tagged behind US ships and entered these areas?”
Obama here was several decibels lower than in Tokyo, on the Diaoyu (or Senkaku) Islands dispute. There Obama was more explicit, to the delight of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe; but not necessarily to other allies of the US. Here’s the word from Korean Times’ editorial: “Obama raised, subtly but unmistakably, Tokyo’s hand in the Sino-Japanese dispute… while not saying a word about his host country’s historical regressions. We are afraid Obama’s seeming endorsement of their acts, and his embrace of Tokyo’s right to exercise collective self-defense, will give the wrong signal… (and) a blank check for their military resurgence… without making due repentance for their imperial past.”
The ultimate goal of US “rebalancing” to Asia was defined in Hillary Clinton’s 2011 article in Foreign Policy magazine that stated, “Our economic recovery at home will depend on exports and the ability of American firms to tap into the vast and growing consumer base of Asia.”
That, dear Juan de la Cruz, is the real reason the US “pivot,” renamed “rebalancing,” has been going into high gear, to which the defense issues are but preparation to ensure US “freedom of navigation” to send its goods to Asia. But it can also work another way, to block its competitors when US strategic intentions arise. Hence, the US has its “Offshore Control” plan to choke off China’s supply routes, in case it needs to spring an “embargo” or “blockade” against China.
The US has targeted so many for its “blockades” (such as Cuba) and “embargoes” (such as Iran). Now the US is slapping step-by-step sanctions against Russia. If ever Russia subsequently shows any weakness and the US starts targeting China, it will do so only for its own interest and not to defend any interest of the Philippines.
(Tune in to “Sulo ng Pilipino” on 1098 AM, dwAD, Tuesday to Friday, 5 p.m.; catch GNN’s Talk News TV with HTL on Destiny Cable Channel 8, SkyCable Channel 213, and www.gnntv-asia.com, Saturday, 8:00 p.m. and replay Sunday, 8 a.m., this week on “May Day, a call for hope or help?” with labor leaders; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com; and text reactions to 0917-8658664)
For the entire day, Philippine mainstream broadcast media dissected every statement of presidential visitor Barack Obama’s speeches and press conference, looking for whatever they could belabor for days on end — from commitments to counter China’s assertions in the South China Sea to any pronouncement supporting anti-Chinese prejudices among social media and beyond, generated by three years of anti-China demonization from their circle of critics. Instead, what stood out are the high hopes and encouragement that Obama holds for the “peaceful rise of China” and its adherence to the “rule of law.”
Highlighted globally from Mr. Obama were the following: “We welcome China’s peaceful rise. We have a constructive relationship with China. Our goal is not to counter China. Our goal is not to contain China…” and at the press conference that followed, “Well, let me repeat what I said earlier; I think that it is good for the region and good for the world if China is successfully developing … The more they’re able to develop and provide basic needs for their people and work cooperatively with other countries in the region, that’s only going to strengthen the region — that’s not going to weaken it. It’s inevitable that China is going to be a dominant power in this region.” Those words have doused cold China Sea waters to the obviously letdown anti-China rabble-rousers here.
Obama did have words about “international law:” “I do think that… China as a large country has already asserted that it is interested in abiding by international law. And really, our message to China consistently on a whole range of issues is we want to be a partner with you in upholding international law. And I think that there are going to be territorial disputes. We have territorial disputes with some of our closest allies… some islands and rocks in and around Canada and the United States where there are probably still some arguments dating back to the 1800s,” which echo Deng Xiaoping’s words to Cory Aquino to mutually shelve the territorial dispute and engage in “joint development” of the disputed areas.
However, if the anti-China talking heads are thinking that Obama’s reference to “international law” can be interpreted to mean adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they are in for a surprise. The US itself has not signed on to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLoS) and continues to raise many questions and objections to many of its provisions. As we and others have pointed out, the US in fact regularly conducts “operational challenges” to provisions of the UNCLoS such as deliberately sailing through Philippine archipelagic and internal waters, as what the USS Guardian did when it got grounded at the Tubbataha Reef, which is indisputably within Philippine Baselines. As Manila Times writer Ric Saludo said, “What if Chinese vessels tagged behind US ships and entered these areas?”
Obama here was several decibels lower than in Tokyo, on the Diaoyu (or Senkaku) Islands dispute. There Obama was more explicit, to the delight of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe; but not necessarily to other allies of the US. Here’s the word from Korean Times’ editorial: “Obama raised, subtly but unmistakably, Tokyo’s hand in the Sino-Japanese dispute… while not saying a word about his host country’s historical regressions. We are afraid Obama’s seeming endorsement of their acts, and his embrace of Tokyo’s right to exercise collective self-defense, will give the wrong signal… (and) a blank check for their military resurgence… without making due repentance for their imperial past.”
The ultimate goal of US “rebalancing” to Asia was defined in Hillary Clinton’s 2011 article in Foreign Policy magazine that stated, “Our economic recovery at home will depend on exports and the ability of American firms to tap into the vast and growing consumer base of Asia.”
That, dear Juan de la Cruz, is the real reason the US “pivot,” renamed “rebalancing,” has been going into high gear, to which the defense issues are but preparation to ensure US “freedom of navigation” to send its goods to Asia. But it can also work another way, to block its competitors when US strategic intentions arise. Hence, the US has its “Offshore Control” plan to choke off China’s supply routes, in case it needs to spring an “embargo” or “blockade” against China.
The US has targeted so many for its “blockades” (such as Cuba) and “embargoes” (such as Iran). Now the US is slapping step-by-step sanctions against Russia. If ever Russia subsequently shows any weakness and the US starts targeting China, it will do so only for its own interest and not to defend any interest of the Philippines.
(Tune in to “Sulo ng Pilipino” on 1098 AM, dwAD, Tuesday to Friday, 5 p.m.; catch GNN’s Talk News TV with HTL on Destiny Cable Channel 8, SkyCable Channel 213, and www.gnntv-asia.com, Saturday, 8:00 p.m. and replay Sunday, 8 a.m., this week on “May Day, a call for hope or help?” with labor leaders; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com; and text reactions to 0917-8658664)
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