We heard Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo say the other day he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a “frank and candid exchange” during their telephone conversations on issues affecting Manila and Beijing.
Mr Manalo added the conversation ended – which is plain diplomatese – “with a clearer understanding of our respective positions on a number of issues.”
State-run Xinhua has quoted Wang as saying the Philippines and China relations are currently facing “severe difficulties” over the country’s change in its policy stance.
Wang noted the bilateral relationship between the two countries “now stands at a crossroads, with its future yet to be decided” and the Philippine side “must act with caution.”
An unornamented remonstrance, that one.
Manila earlier asked Beijing to stop lingering in waters around Ayungin Shoal, a feature in the South China Sea within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
This month alone, it protested the Chinese Coast Guard’s aggressive actions – boldly glossed over by Beijing – that led to collision, illegal shadowing, and undue use of water cannons during the country’s rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal on Dec 10.
A day prior, China also used water cannons against three Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels on a humanitarian mission providing fuel and groceries to Filipinos fishing at Bajo de Masinloc.
During their phone call, the Chinese side said Manalo and Wang agreed to actively create “favorable conditions” for the next Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, the last in March.
Wang said China is ready to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation but warned if the Philippines “misjudges the situation, goes its own way, or even colludes with ill-intentioned external forces to continue to stir up troubles, China will defend its rights in accordance with law and respond resolutely.”
Bold as brass a statement from someone trained in diplomacy.
This is in line with what Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said earlier that China’s intimidating demeanor should be stopped as he urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to enter into more defense and security cooperation agreements not only with Japan but also with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even South Korea.
“We should negotiate and enter into Visiting Forces Agreements, like the one we have with the United States, in the face of heightened threats from China, the latest of which is the use of a military-grade laser on our Coast Guard vessel, which temporarily blinded its personnel,” he said.
Rodriguez noted China has been waving these harassments many times in the past and the government should do something more solid in defending the country’s sovereignty.
Rodriguez is absolutely right.