‘Assertive transparency’ is US’ pro-war hype vs. China

INSTEAD of proving China’s “bullying,” the US-initiated ‘assertive transparency’ strategy only served to highlight China’s responsible, professional police action in defense of its core interests using non-lethal law enforcement tools such as water cannons, the use of which is consistent with the UN Human Rights Guideline on Non-Lethal Weapon Law Enforcement, to maintain its sovereign claim over large swathe of territories in the South China Sea.

The is the only impression that can be concluded after over 13 months of the ‘challenge-and-response’ encounters between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and its support vessels against the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and its support vessels, mainly at the Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin) and at the Scarborough (Bajo de Masinloc) Shoal that have been the focus of contention of the two countries for the moment.

In the nearly two dozen encounters of the two forces that seemed like “forever” for the Philippine media– which stretches each incident into weeks and months of screaming and whining about CCG “bullying” and “aggression” — it is very fortunate that not a single major incident (sinking) occurred, nor a single, evidence-based significant injury suffered by either side.

There are the much-played allegations of use by the CCG of “blinding miliary grade laser” and the loud bellyaching from the Philippine media and political megaphones about the “smashed windshield” of a PCG vessel that allegedly wounded 4 PCG men; the latest allegation claimed of “heavy damage” to a PCG ship but there has never been proof shown to back up these claims.

The Chinese Embassy has officially addressed the issue of the “military grade laser,” saying it was not a military grade laser and was used only to signal the PCG to veer away from its course, while the supposed wound of the PCG or Philippine Navy personnel may have just been their uniforms drenched by the water cannons as not a single photo of a bleeding scratch was ever shown.

The “heavy damage” claim during the latest March 23 incident of the “irregular” RORE (rotation and reprovisioning) at the Ayungin Shoal, remains unconfirmed by any actual photograph, two days since the incident while I am drafting this piece. So, was there “heavy damage” or is the claim again another media hype following the ‘assertive transparency’ template?

China indeed has prepared a superior force to guard and uphold its sovereignty over the South China Sea where it has laid claims, citing its “historic rights.”

For hundreds of years dating back to Imperial China, it has been traversing the SCS and named hundreds of islands thereat, islands that the French and the Japanese grabbed during the colonial and imperial campaigns of subjugation and domination of Asia by the Western and Japanese imperialists.

China’s superior maritime and naval forces, the largest Coast Guard as well as the largest Navy fleets in the world (370 warships to the US’ 280 in 2023) is designed to “win without fighting,” while augmenting its police and maritime assets with thousands of auxiliary civilian vessels – to overwhelm any antagonist at sea without firing a shot but, by using sheer numbers to deter any unwanted “guest.”

The US and its Philippine proxies have no physical assets to challenge this Chinese strategy made possible by its unmatched industrial, steel and shipbuilding capacity. Hence, the US Naval Research Institute adopted the brainchild of ex-USAF Col. Raymond Powell’s strategy of “assertive transparency,” that simply translates to massive black propaganda against China.

Capt. Raymond Powell called his project “Myoushu” (“brilliant move” in Japanese).

The US imperialists “sold” (or should we say imposed) this ‘strategy’ on its Filipino subjects through the Albert del Rosario Institute-Stratbase and “hammered” into PBBM’s mind by the US State Department.

The objective, mainly, is to “exact reputational cost on China” or slander it, aiming to create “international support” against China.

The Americans are very good at propaganda. And that, at present, seems to be the only thing the US can do.

They had great propaganda going into the Korean War but the reality of China’s massive PLA intervention caught them flatfooted; they had a great story going into their armed intervention in Vietnam but fled as the NVA entered Saigon. The same goes with respect to Iran, Afghanistan, Ukraine and now, the South China Sea.

China’s modern ‘Great Wall of Ships’ stands guard at its southern borders where 400 invasions were launched by invading imperialist powers from the West and Japan. Their mission is to ensure that these foreign invasions would no longer be repeated.
As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim replied to a question about the SCS and China, “…as far as the South China Sea is concerned, our position and the centrality of ASEAN is that it should be resolved within ASEAN and within the region…

“(T)he response of (Chinese) Premier Li Keqiang is quite reassuring saying that yes, we will not be aggressive. We will, you know, continue to negotiate.”