By Richard Javad Heydarian
Manila should pursue dialogue with Beijing while it still can.
Growing territorial tensions in the South China Sea are taking a toll on the sizeable Filipino-Chinese community in the Philippines. Recently, one of the most celebrated Filipino writers went so far as to implicitly question the loyalty of the Filipino-Chinese community in an event of war with China, prompting vigorous rebuttals from leading Filipino-Chinese intellectuals.
Slowly, it is becoming clear that the Philippines’ territorial standoff with China not only carries the risk of possible conflict in disputed waters and a precipitous decline in Chinese investments. The increasingly toxic diplomatic exchanges between Beijing and Manila has been mirrored by equally – if not more – adversarial language in the public sphere, with some netizens stoking inter-ethnic tensions and undermining the Philippines’ proud legacy of multiculturalism.
Any objective analysis would pin the blame on China for stoking territorial tensions in the region, which in turn means that Beijing’s behavior is key to the resolution of the disputes. Nevertheless, the Philippines can still learn some lessons from its neighbors on how to better manage the ongoing disputes and best deal with the Chinese juggernaut. Diplomacy isn’t only about mobilizing allies and friends against your foes. It is also about keeping your enemies close and peacefully managing differences with even the bitterest foes.
Read the full story at The Diplomat