By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
TAGUIG CITY — The 14th Manila Forum for Philippines-China Relations with the theme: “Ensuring Continuing Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific Region” was held on Wednesday (Sept. 17) here at the Shangri-La The Fort.
During the forum hosted by Atty. Raul Lambino, Chairman of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU),
Huang Xilian, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, said “it’s a true pleasure to see the old friends in the Philippines-China Relations.”
“Today’s theme ‘Ensuring Continuing Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific Region’ captures our aspiration,” he said.
He cited the initiatives of China that inject much-needed stability.
China’s initiatives further fuel the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) embracing the people-centered approach.
It further gains support and cooperation from the international community.
It has created a global impetus for improved global governance and a chance for global transformation.
No country can remain unaffected.
The five core principles of GGI are deeply rooted in China’s culture and tradition for global governance.
International fairness and justice with evolving theory of rules-based international order and international law.
“Today, we are happy to welcome different colors. We hope for your success” he said.
Atty. Lambino acknowledged the Trustees of APCU such as Ado Paglinawan and Herman “Ka Mentong” Tiu Laurel, among others, who are the men and women behind APCU.
Prof. Victor Gao, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization, said that he went to Yale University and he got his Doctorate from Yale University.
Gao noted that William Howard Taft became the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the first Governor General of the Philippines, and became President of the United States.
He considered everyone distinguished guests as “my friends”.
“I believe that China and the Philippines will remain as neighbors and friends,” Gao said.
He first came in the Philippines in 1993 as a lawyer and worked with Robinsons.
He remembered that China then was not fully developed but years from now China will be five times more developed in terms of the size of the economy.
“It will be suicidal if you are a friend to one and an enemy to another,” he said.
He advised that it will be beneficial to the Philippines to be friends to all.
Gao worked as an interpreter to Chinese Premier Deng Xiaoping.
He cited the railways in Indonesia and Vietnam who are developing their connectivity.
He shared that AI (Artificial Intelligence) becomes more and more important.
“AI does not mean American Intelligence, but Artificial Intelligence. It is developed for all countries and not for the dominance of any one single country,” Gao said.
“We are living in a fast changing world. I believe that no country should dominate the global reciprocal tariff,” he added.
He cited the Court in the United States declaring the tariff war as illegal and unconstitutional.
He also cited the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran that have claimed thousands of lives.
The War of Japanese fascism both ended in August 1945. Half of China was invaded by Japan. Japan wanted to wipe out the entire China.
Four million Japanese soldiers were engaged in the Pacific war theater.
“Eventually, China and the United States will have to live in peace,” Gao said.
China is the only country in the world with Hydrogen bomb.
It can launch its ballistic missile to any country in the world without the possibility of interception.
“China will not fire the first shot. But China will not give you the chance to fire the second shot,” Gao said.
“China will not allow the United States to launch war whether conventional or traditional,” he added.
“China is the best country you can work with. It has the best tools,” Gao said.
Gao is a licensed international arbitration lawyer in New York, United States of America.
“Arbitration without consent is a violation of the International Law,” Gao said.
“No one in the world can say that it cannot read the Spanish-American Treaty of 1898 when Spain transferred the totality of the Philippines to the United States when Taft became the first Governor General of the Philippines,” Gao said.
“Without peace, China would not have developed. Long live the Philippines,” he added.
“AI is Asian Intelligence,” Lambino said.
For his part, Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., former National Security Adviser, said that he is honored to speak before the 14th Manila Forum for Philippines-China Relations.
Esperon spoke from his experience of work both in the military and government service.
He led the whole of nation approach to destroy the communist insurgency through the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict).
“Internal cohesion cannot be done by military alone,” Esperon said.
“The West Philippine Sea has long been a flashpoint,” he added.
Esperon cited the 2016 Arbitral ruling and the UNCLOS.
“Piracy, smuggling and transnational crimes were addressed by the maritime cooperation with Asian countries,” Esperon said.
“We must also pursue a culture of security, together with the youth. National security is not only the responsibility of the state, but it’s a shared responsibility anchored on mutual respect in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.
During the panel discussion, Prof. Su Hao, Director of Center for Strategy and Peace Studies of China Foreign Affairs University, said that he has been in the Philippines several times already.
Prof. Hao added that the Philippines is a beautiful country with many scenic tourist spots.
“We are trying to build an East-Asia community,” he said.
“China and the United States were then friends against Japan. We share common experiences in war between China and the United States and China and the Philippines,” he added.
“All of us would not want war again because we suffered in war (World War II),” Prof. Hao said.
“China now is one of the greatest in economy in the world, second to the United States,” he added.
He noted that American President Donald Trump is a special man, a special politician.
Ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao, former Presidential Spokesperson and Press Secretary, said that the Arbitral Panel was created under UNCLOS and it’s an ad hoc panel.
He added that more and more people are believing AI.
“If you look at the website there is no official policy on Scarborough Shoal,” Tiglao said.
“The South China Sea issue is close to my heart because I was on of the first casualties,” he added.
“For 1,000 or 2,000 years, China and the Philippines are very close friends,” Tiglao said.
“The US (United States) has been holding our President by the balls. Sorry to say,” he added.
“I’m a journalist. I can only speak on facts on the ground,” Tiglao said.
He added that the Senate could spend P30 billion for the construction of a new Senate complex in Taguig City but could not spend an amount for the modernization of an airport in the municipality of Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Group of Islands.
Tiglao noted that former President Fidel V. Ramos was able to deal with China, as well as former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Prof. Ding Duo, Director of the Research Center for International and Regional Issues at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, and the youngest among the panelists, said that he would like to express his respect to the senior panelists.
“There is no war in the South China Sea. All the coastal states in the South China Sea have the stability and peace in the South China Sea which are being maintained by China and the ASEAN countries,” Prof. Duo said.
Sec. Esperon said “the concept of trust and dialogue whether we like it or not we have to revert to diplomacy by all means because it’s the first tool even if you are weak. We cannot engage militarily. We must understand the South China Sea is not the sum total of our relation with China.”
“In other words, friends and enemies are not absolute. That is why you have to put up your military. It must revert back to diplomacy,” Esperon said.
He expressed the hope that there will be a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Esperon noted that Vietnam has seven islands there. Malaysia has five islands. Taiwan still occupies the biggest island there and Brunei is also a claimant in the SCS.
“We can have agreements that could benefit us all,” Esperon said.
“We all know the importance of the South China Sea — 3 trillion US dollars or one-third of the world trade. At least China and the United States are talking,” he added.
“Maybe the wisdom of the Filipinos and Chinese for a hundred years will solve the problem,” Esperon said.
“National security is the state where the welfare and general well-being of the people and the government are protected and enhanced. We are countries but no country is an island,” he added.
“Filipinos still believe that diplomacy will help solve the problem in the South China Sea,” Lambino said.
Prof. Gao cited the profit sharing agreement on the exploration of gas and oil reserves in the South China Sea with a 50-50 profit sharing.
“South China Sea has the biggest coral reefs in the world than any country in the world,” he said.
“The United States is instigating the separatists in both sides of the Taiwan Strait to start war with China,” Prof. Gao said.
“I think we are already in the point of no return. India needs another 10 years to recover,” he added.
“Being friends. Talk about peace. Don’t talk about war. Let’s embrace peace. That’s the fundamental point,” Prof. Gao said. ###
