YOURS truly is among those who are relieved to learn that after a delay of more than two months, China has sent a new ambassador to the Philippines in the person of HE Ambassador Jing Quan, replacing HE Ambassador Huang Xilian, who ended his 6-years tour of duty last September.
“Relieved” because the appointment of Amb. Jing is the clearest message from China that is not “giving up” on its friendship with the Philippines and its hope for a better relationship anchored on mutual benefit and mutual respect. And this, despite the obstructionist efforts and unending Sinophobia campaign in the public space by American stooges inside our government that skyrocketed under the current administration.
As a sovereign state, China could have simply stopped sending another ambassador and opted to have its embassy here run by a ‘Chargés d’affaires’ until such time that it has seen unmistakable signal that we are really, truly serious, in mending our now almost broken relationship.
Had this been the case, it would have truly been a diplomatic disaster for us that spells doom to our economy.
Translation? China could have adopted the attitude that any help or aid it intends to give us would have been better spent helping countries in Africa or Latin America that genuinely welcome its help and friendship. Too, it can also cynically adopt the US attitude towards us of just giving us “token” help because that is what any “slave” state deserves.
Not sending an ambassador here would have been the clearest signal from Beijing that for China, we are already a “hopeless case” better ignored and abandoned and treated with suspicion as an “adversary” the way China and the US eyed each other, notwithstanding the present public ‘modus vivendi’ between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.
Let us be realistic here, dear readers. China represents the future while American Imperialism represents the past.
The ‘Age of the Unipolar World’ and America’s ‘rules-based international order’ is disintegrating before our eyes and the return of the ‘Multi-Polar World’ under China’s ‘shared future for humanity’ is rising once again and yet, our leaders preferred to remain as Uncle Sam’s lapdogs.
We have over a millennium of good neighborly relationship with China and shared sacrifices in the hand of Western Imperialism—China during its ‘Century of Humiliation’ and us, during our failed revolutions against Spanish Colonialism and American Imperialism at the turn of the last century.
We both shared blood and tears in the millions at the hands of Japanese Fascism during World War 2 and experienced another round of exploitation during the Cold War years where Filipinos served as cannon fodders during America’s interventions in the Korean and Vietnamese civil wars.
It is good that so far, China continues to value our past togetherness rather than give weight to our present leaders’ conscious decision to be the modern-day tools of American Imperialism and its aggressive policies against China and other independent-minded nations.
And in sending over Ambassador Jing with his record of being a ‘US Hand’ or an “expert” in navigating the complex Sino-US relations let us hope he can also navigate the nuances of our being an American stooge leading to, at best, a mutually respectable, or at the minimum, “tolerable” diplomatic relationship between the Philippines and China.
As a seasoned diplomat, we can expect Ambassador Jing has his “eyes wide open” to any contingency or possibility and with plenty of patience to spare like Amb. Huang.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) reported that President Marcos expressed optimism for an improved relationship with China when Amb. Jing presented his credentials last December 11.
“Our differences should be the exception in our ties rather than the norm,” President Marcos reportedly told Ambassador Jing.
Those are nice and optimistic words and praiseworthy indeed.
But unless the President backed his words with concrete action by reining in his fellow US puppets in his government especially those in our national security and foreign policy establishments, he might as well wish for the Philippines to land its first astronaut to the moon next year. It is not going to happen anytime soon.
America’s local puppets who would not miss an opportunity to poison our relationship with China remain the ‘fly in the ointment’ clearly visible to any sober person. Their influence and noise cannot be ignored.
Abangan!