Wazzup Pilipinas!
At the recent November 10 “China Philippines Dialogue 2016” forum organized by the “China Daily” newspaper at Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City, the Philippines, various speakers led by the Philippines’ newly-designated ambassador to Beijing Chito Sta. Maria look forward to better Philippine and Asian economic growth prospect with the normalization of Philippine-China bilateral economic, diplomatic, cultural and other ties due to efforts of President Rody Duterte. He cited new railways in Mindanao of southern Philippines, seaports, agriculture and others as areas where both countries can cooperate.
Former veteran journalist Chito Sta. Maria said that in tackling differences like territorial disputes over the Scarborough Shoal or Spratly isles, the reformist government of President Rody Duterte prefers the pragmatic and more effective “quiet diplomacy instead of megaphone diplomacy”. Sta. Maria said that China’s pragmatic leaders can reciprocate goodwill in negotiations, citing examples of China concluding territorial dispute agreements with like Russia and Vietnam after several years of high-level bilateral talks with each neighbor.
Sta. Maria explained that Duterte’s announcement of “separation” from longtime military ally and former colonizer USA and charting a new independent foreign policy is his way of pursuing a “hedging strategy” for the Philippines to “diversify risks and maximize the gains” from two superpowers the U.S. and China. The new envoy said that the new pragmatic approach shall also make the Philippines no longer be perceived byChina or others in the international community as “a pawn or vassal state” of the United States.
Former CNN Beijing bureau chief and now Peking University Visiting Professor Jaime FlorCruz is also supportive of President Duterte’s reformist efforts to uphold an independent foreign policy for the Philippines, in rebalancing the country’s diplomatic and economic ties with all powers.