DISTURBING will be the mildest word to describe recent news quoting a report released by Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, warning of the “low but growing” probability of the United States fighting a war with a major power with “ immense” consequences.
While the report mentions Russia, Iran and North Korea as posing threats to the US and its allies, with Russia being singled out as “repeatedly demonstrating that it does not respect the sovereignty of its neighbors,” there is little doubt that the power referred to is China.
China’s actions are adding tension to the Asia-Pacific region, the document is quoted as saying, referring to China’s land-reclamation efforts to build islands in the contested West Philippine Sea to boost its military and civilian presence.
Whether the US and China will fight over whatever the issue is, we leave to political scientists and military strategists; what we know is that such a war, if it happens, will not be in the best interest of the Philippines. It can only inflict damage to us and our country. Given China’s manifest disgust at us, this damage can be severe, physically and emotionally. That we will fight back “to the last of the 1.4 billion Chinese” or that China will be reduced to radioactive ashes by the US, or vice versa, will be of no consequence.
We are not interested in fighting China or any country for that matter. But we are right in bringing our case to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos) for a determination of its legitimacy. We hope that China does the same thing and abides by the decision, whether or not it is favorable to it.
For the moment, we wonder whether it is not timely for the Philippines and China to give diplomacy another chance. For the Philippines, the Aquino government may have come to a parting of the ways with China, but this is not irreversible.
We are told that diplomacy has myriad ways of dealing with international issues, including so-called back-channeling. If that is the case, then we can explore one or two of these ways to settle the West Philippine Sea issue, once and for all.
If the current Philippine government cannot do it, we must insist that the next administration be more conciliatory. Short of tipping their hands, which may forewarn the adversary, political personalities aspiring for the presidency must give us an idea of how they hope to deal with the issue. While awaiting the decision of the Itlos, we want to take the issue to the negotiating table.
But it takes two to tango. We hope China is not too impressed by its newly developed military clout and its elevation to major power status to take up with the Philippines the conflicting claims at the West Philippine Sea through dialogue and other peaceful means.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano