THE call for a boycott of Chinese products does not reflect the Aquino administration’s policy.

This was the reaction of Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda on the call of Albay Gov. Joey Salceda for a boycott of Chinese products to protest China’s “bullying” of the Philippines on the territorial dispute. Lacierda said, however, that Malacañang respected Salceda’s opinion

“We have a healthy trade with the People’s Republic of China. It [boycott] is not something that we can just immediately call for without consequences on our part, as well as their part....It is not our policy to boycott Chinese products....We have an investment in the trade between China and the Philippines. And it’s not something we can easily dismiss,” Lacierda said in a news briefing.

In Congress, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile also advised irate Philippine officials against advocating a boycott of Chinese products at this time.  

“I would rather tone down the rhetoric in order not to exacerbate our already delicate relations with China,” Enrile said. “Bear in mind that we have a healthy trading relationship with China. They are our neighbors and even if we have this disagreement in the South China Sea, we should approach it with a friendly discussion of the problem.”

But Enrile also cautioned China against “using or showing any sign of aggressiveness against the country because world public opinion would be a factor to be considered in this. If they will show they are using their very strong military capability to undermine the interest of a friendly neighbor, the world will raise its eyebrows.”

He said the Philippines may invoke its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States in case of a Chinese attack on any part of Philippine territory, but added that the 1951 MDT does not include a provision for automatic retaliation

“Now, if there is an attack against our naval vessels or against any of our aircraft, within that air space from the coastline of the western side of the Philippines all the way to the mainland of Asia, or all the way to the coastline of the Americas, then we can invoke the MDT. Because that is the treaty area,” Enrile told reporters.

But when asked if the Philippines can count on the US to immediately come to its defense as envisioned in the MDT, Enrile replied: “Oh, well, that is another issue. Can we count on them? I do not know. We better ask them, can we count on you?”

He noted that the mere existence of the MDT does not bind the US to immediately retaliate against anyone attacking Philippine territory.

“There is no automatic retaliatory provision. That is what we have been asking them before,” Enrile said partly in Filipino.

Lacierda expressed confidence that the dispute between the two countries would not breed anti-Chinese sentiments in the Philippines, especially as Filipinos have been proved to be “very tolerant.”

“We’ve seen that among the Southeast Asian nations, we have not experienced any form of xenophobia in our country. The Chinese have been intertwined with the Filipinos, with the Malay race since the Spanish period. So I do not see any surge of xenophobia in the Philippines. Most of us have Chinese blood one way or the other. Certainly, we are tolerant with other cultures and other races,” he said.

When asked, Lacierda urged those who may harbor such sentiments “not to involve those who should not get involved.”

He also said the Philippines is “very, very confident and hopeful that a peaceful resolution should be achieved in this matter” as there is an ongoing dialog between Chinese embassy officials and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“There’s constant dialog between the Chinese embassy and the DFA, that’s why we’re confident that a peaceful resolution will be achieved,” he said, adding that there were separate exchanges between him with Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao, and Mr. Aquino and Liu during the traditional vin d’honneur in Malacañang on Sunday.

He said before the Chinese envoy formally greeted Mr. Aquino at the Palace event, Liu told Lacierda China is one with the Philippines in “calling for a peaceful resolution on the West Philippine Sea”—which the Chinese envoy was to have repeated to the President as they shook hands later.

“[He said] they have the same position calling for a peaceful resolution on the West Philippine Sea. So we believe that at this point, it is speculative to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty. Right now, we are dwelling on a peaceful resolution on the conflict in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Lacierda said during their chat while awaiting the President, he and Liu “emphasized to each other the stress for a peaceful resolution.”

Meanwhile, Malacañang has taken the cue from the DFA and the Department of National Defense  in calling the South China Sea the “West Philippine Sea” to assert its claim over the disputed territory, even as it remained “very confident and hopeful” of a peaceful resolution of the matter.

Lacierda also said Malacañang does not foresee Filipinos harboring any anti-Chinese sentiments in response to the tensions between the Philippines and China.

“In any event, all the other nations...call [the South China Sea] on their own terms, as well. So it’s but natural for us to call it West Philippine Sea....There was no intentional reason to inflame the Chinese,” he said.

Malacañang also expressed its determination to improve the patrol of Philippine territory and its exclusive economic zone to deter foreign incursions.

“Concerning our defense posture, the administration is determined to improve the capabilities of our military and Coast Guard to enable the effective patrol and protection of our national territory and exclusive economic zone,” he said, reading from a prepared statement.

Lacierda declined to reveal the planned or forthcoming military acquisitions, if any, in relation to the improved patrol of Philippine territory, but said the recently acquired Hamilton-class cutter “is being prepared right now” and that personnel are being trained to operate the vessel previously considered as the largest class of vessel in the US Coast Guard.

He said Malacañang would allow the Department of National Defense to make the necessary announcements on new acquisitions, if there are any.