LAST January 7, 2023, the Asian Century Philippine Strategic Studies Institute Inc. (ACPSSII) co-sponsored with the Kamuning Bakery Café and the Manila Times, a webinar titled, “PBBM’s State Visit to China: Impact on the Philippine Economy and Future.”
Resource persons during the event were: President of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industries Inc. (FFCCCII) Henry Lim Bonliong; civic and philanthropic leader Sixto “Noy” Benedicto, president of the Association for Philippine-China Understanding (APCU); Dr. Aaron “Jed” Rabena, research fellow of the Asia Pathways to Progress Foundation Inc. (APPFI); and, Prof. Anna Malindog-Uy external vice-president of the ACPSSII, with Phil. Star columnist Wilson Lee Flores, empresario of the Kamuning Bakery Café as moderator.
Last and the least of all, yours truly Herman Tiu Laurel, as panel reactor and devil’s advocate to the discussion, presenting the critical and challenging aspects of the issue at hand.
After observing the spectacular welcome President Xi Jinping staged for President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. as its first state visitor in 2023 with the clear purpose of showing to the Filipino people and the world the utmost priority that China is giving to the Philippines among its relations in the global community; and,
After witnessing the unmistakable intention of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. of making China as his administration’s first foreign, official state visit outside of ASEAN, that is, to put relations with the People’s Republic of China, the primus inter pares among nations of Asia, as his top foreign relations focus.
President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. has now shown his firm resolution to continue the constitutional “independent foreign policy” principle and practice reincarnated by his predecessor President Rodrigo R. Duterte, pursued by PBBM’s father President Ferdinand E. Marcos and prescribed by the First Philippine Republic’s first foreign minister Apolinario Mabini.
PBBM’s historic first state visit outside of ASEAN to China also gave due respect not only to ASEAN centrality but also to Asian centrality, carrying forward the Asian Moment in 2022 that culminated in three global summits held in ASEAN and Asia in November and which PBBM continued in 2023 with his visit to China.
This visit was another historic step in the march of the Philippines towards the Asian Century and into the vision of a world of “Forever Peace and Prosperity” and away from 500 years of “forever wars” that the West brought to Asia and the world.
Now, in the spirit of the “strongest partnership” the Philippines has with China, it can truly build its new society of prosperity in a region of harmony and stability.
The remaining question as President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. returns to the Philippines is, “What actions will President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. take to fulfill the rich symbolisms of his state visit to China?” There are bold moves to make to materialize the historic symbolisms such as:
Ending our dalliances with the Western imperialist powers;
Ending the sabotage of the Philippines’ economic, political and geopolitical blossoming by the West’s Fifth Column in our polity;
The full and uninterrupted commitment to the “comprehensive strategic cooperation” with the engine of development of the world; and,
Solidarity with the ASEAN majority to exclude outside powers from the South China Sea.
All these will begin with the fast tracking of the Philippine-China 60/40 oil-gas joint venture which is only being held back by the monumental obstructionism of a Western-led transnational oil consortium, as well as the disciplining of the foreign affairs and security bureaucracies from diverging from our government’s official foreign policies.
The American Boys or Amboys moved to distract from the success of the state visit by releasing a survey diverting from the visit’s achievements, Stratbase ADR Institute commissioned Pulse Asia to highlight so-called security issues of the country.
However, those security issues ranked 15 out of the 16 “most urgent national concerns” posed by Pulse Asia or a mere 3 percent priority from the 1, 200 respondents.
As Bill Clinton’s supporters say, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Stratbase and the Amboys should learn that it is the ‘bread-and-butter’ issues that is important to Filipinos and not our military alliance with the US.
The “comprehensive strategic cooperation” with China is almost all about the economic invigoration of the Philippines with China’s help.
Among the critical deals that PBBM inked is the fertilizer supply from Chinese agri-business enterprises signed on January 5 in Beijing that ensures cheap fertilizers supply through the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC).
The Philippines has no problem with the government of China, our Big Brother, it is caring for our good will with the people of China that we must continue for word gets around swiftly in Chinese social media and in the end it’s the Chinese people who will buy Philippine goods and services (don’t forget tourism) and support the PROC’s aid to the Philippines.