Now, with the tensions arising from the tribunals ruling, Duterte faces the problem of how to strike a

balance that would not cost him to compromise what he believes are the security interests of the
Philippines. This is why he has decided to hold peaceful bilateral talks with Beijing.

China doesnt want to go to war either, according to two big-time mainland Chinese investors who were
in Manila for several days.

War is the last thing on the minds of Chinese leaders, the investors said.

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If diplomatic talks between the Philippines and their country go well, China will finance the building of
railroads in Mindanao, solve the traffic problem in Manila by building more skyways and send food and
industrial technicians here, they added.According to them, China wants to make the Philippines a major
economic partner by turning it into its food basket and industrial hub. It wants to lease vast tracts of
land for agricultural and industrial production, especially in Mindanao, they told me. China, they added,
has leased or bought lands in the Middle East and Africa for its growing agricultural and industrial
needs.But China prefers the Philippines as a major economic partner because we are just two hours
away by plane from its nearest province, the investors said.The Asian superpower wants our vegetables,
bananas, mangoes, other tropical fruits, fish and seafood; it plans to hire our skilled labor force for the
offices and factories it wants to put up in the country.If the economic partnership between China and
the Philippines is realized, millions of jobs will be created and millions of Filipinos will not have seek
employment overseas.But how do the two countries resolve the diplomatic impasse over the shoal?The
two big-time businessmen who know people in high places in China said that the Asian superpower
would find a way for both parties to save face.Saving face is an Asian trait. Chinese and Filipinos both
dont want to lose face. A solution will surely be found for the two countries to save face, one of them
said.The two investors flew back yesterday to Beijing but left word that they would be available for talks
anytime with Philippine officials and potential local business partners.

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