Risk OF Callousness
No public actions have been taken by Washington to lessen the hostilities between Beijing and Manila. Instead, Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed complete- throated aid for “our impenetrable military commitments” during a middle- March stopover in Manila.
Reassured of US backing, Marcos has amped up the speech, proclaiming that Manila may respond to any troublemaking on Beijing’s piece by implementing a” deterrent package that is equal, deliberate and fair”.
” Filipinos”, he added, “do not supply”.
For an approach, according to Marcos, was then appropriate according to the US and its local allies offering” to aid us on what the Philippines requires to protect and secure our sovereignty, sovereign rights and control”.
The downside is that as the Philippines becomes more assured thanks to US support, its dealings with China may become careless.
China may only grow more worried about its continued access to the South China Sea, through which almost all of its energy imports and most of its exports flow, despite the deepening Philippines-US alignment and associated Filipino assertiveness acting as a deterrent to China’s expansion.
And there is little to suggest that Washington will be able to stop Manila from confronting China in the South China Sea.
To Beijing, the prospect of an emboldened Philippines forging active strategic partnerships with Australia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and- most troublesome of all- Taiwan makes the situation all the more perilous.
Northeastern University’s Professor of Government Emeritus is Fred H. Lawson. This commentary first appeared on The Conversation.