Name: Sang-an, Darwin Jay L.

Course & Year: BSN – 1 Date: September 12, 2020

A POSITION PAPER ON THE ACTION OF PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT IN PROTECTING OUR LAND

TERRITORY AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on his 5th State Of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27,
2020, Monday afternoon, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, talked about the territorial
dispute between China and the Philippines, concerning "ownership" of the Spratly Islands, a group of
islands and associated "maritime features" (reefs, banks, cays, etc.) located in the South China Sea. He
acknowledged that he could "cannot do anything" about Beijing's relentless conquest of South China Sea
territories because the nation would not match the superpower in a battle. The Philippine leader said he
was helpless against Beijing's maritime claims during his annual address to the nation and the government
could not afford to go into combat right now. He said China has a stronger military force than the
Philippines, so in a sense, China is already "in possession" of the disputed waters. With this kind of action
by our Philippine government, a lot of Filipino people would disagree regarding the West Philippine Sea
and that is completely understandable because this would undermine us Filipinos but there are a lot of
possibilities and problems that can be encountered if we contest with China. While the territorial disputes
have been in the spotlight for years, these should not hinder the two countries from continuing to
collaborate in other ways. Given the wide-ranging and extensive connections between the Philippines and
China, they should be urged to collaborate for their mutual benefit in other aspects of the relations. There
are four main reasons why the action of the Philippine government is right in response to the Philippine-
China Relation. These are bilateral trade, tourism promotion, and sports and cultural exchange.
Bilateral trade. Trade is not only stable but also growing between the Philippines and China.
According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Philippines, overall trade in 2013 reached
USD 14.6 billion, a substantial increase from 2011 and 2012, and increasing trade figures show that
economic and political areas of bilateral ties can be exchanged for mutual benefit. Tourism promotion.
China remains a major tourist source for the Philippines. More than 400,000 Chinese have visited the
country in 2013 according to the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT). Large Chinese tourist arrivals
sound promising as the DOT intensifies the development of tourism in China. As a result of the campaign
"It's More Fun in the Philippines", the Philippines has become a destination of choice for Chinese tourists.
Sports and cultural exchange. The use of soft power, in the form of sport and cultural diplomacy, is deemed
important to neutralize the Philippines and China's display of hard power and to even out a historically
asymmetrical relationship between the two countries. Sporting and cultural events have gradually led to
promoting communication between Filipinos and Chinese. To address divisive differences takes substantial
commitment from both sides, which does not actually entail casting maritime tensions and territorial
problems aside, but rather taking them off from the center to provide more space to concentrate on more
constructive and productive areas of relationships.
Although it merely takes a violent incident at sea to affect a reversion to mutual suspicion and
mistrust, the Philippines and China need to note the lasting importance of sustaining effective cooperation
beyond the disputes to preserve bilateral relations. For the Philippines, China is a vital economic partner
that it must constantly deal with to gain financial benefits for the sake of its national development. For
China, the Philippines is an important nation that it must get along with to gain the trust and respect of other
states in the region, particularly as it proves itself to be a responsible great power. While protecting
territorial sovereignty is paramount, a country must also work with other countries for other benefits and
mutual gains. It is thus indispensable for the Philippines and China as neighbors to engage each other
despite having diverging geopolitical and security concerns. Furthermore, such concerns ought to motivate
the two countries to exercise restraint in dealing with salient issues and to develop greater, long-term
bilateral cooperation.
References:
1.)https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/South-China-Sea/Duterte-says-Beijing-is-in-
possession-of-South-China-Sea
2.)https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3975493
3.)https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1864893/Manila/Local-News/LIVE-BLOG-President-Rodrigo-
Dutertes-State-of-the-Nation-Address-2020
4.)https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/nanhai/eng/snhwtlcwj_1/t1368895.htm
5.)https://www.mofa.gov.tw/en/Upload/WebArchive/1989/Position%20Paper%20on%20ROC%20South
%20China%20Sea%20Policy%20(illustrated%20pamphlet%20PDF).pdf
6.)https://academic.oup.com/chinesejil/article/15/2/265/2548386
7.)https://www.academia.edu/23901400/South_China_Sea_Position_Paper
8.)https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-
philippines/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines-article-ii/
9.)https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/07/china-refuses-to-quit-on-the-philippines.html
10.)https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/world/asia/rodrigo-duterte-philippines-congress.html
11.)https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/03/10/1900300/duterte-stresses-philippines-not-equipped-
wage-war-china
12.)https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-09-11/China-Philippines-agree-to-continue-negotiations-on-South-
China-Sea--THQBHkJnSo/index.html
13.) https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/philippines-economic-political-relations-china/
14.)https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1076129
15.)http://www.fsi.gov.ph/philippines-china-relations-beyond-the-territoral-disputes/#:~:text=China
%20continues%20to%20be%20an,visited%20the%20country%20in%202013.&text=Sports%20and
%20cultural%20activities%20have,understanding%20among%20Filipinos%20and%20Chinese.