“Sincere Commitment or Empty words: “China will never seek hegemony, expansionism or sphere of influence (Xi Jinping)"

The South China Sea is one of the busiest highways for international trade.  It is not only in our mutual interest that we safeguard the shipping that passes through it but in the common interest of countries, both inside and outside the region. 

In January 2017, President Xi Jinping gave an inspired talk at Davos, defending economic globalization and portraying China “as adhering to multilateralism to uphold the authority and efficacy of multilateral institutions.” He went on to say:  “We should honor promises and abide by rules.  One should not select or bend rules as he sees fit.”  His speech at Davos was well received with China being perceived as the new champion of globalization.

However, today, with China flexing its military muscle, the landscape looks different.  China’s aggressive behavior during the past threes years in the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines have increased insecurity in our region and have portrayed China as a regional hegemon.  These developments have caused the Belt and Road Initiative to be viewed with suspicion.

In India, China’s investments in the Indian Ocean are seen as Red flags being hoisted all around India. This appears to give momentum to security cooperation among the QUAD countries: India, Australia, Japan and the United States.

China’s investments in the Indian Ocean and in Africa are now being questioned as debt traps, which force developing countries to forfeit their strategic infrastructure and their natural resources to China.

China needs to change this perception.  The success of the Belt and Road Initiative is of immense importance to China and to our region.  China needs peace and stability in the Indo – Pacific region.

Thus, at his address this year to the United Nations General Assembly, President Xi Jinping vowed that China “will never seek hegemony, expansionism, or sphere of influence.”

Earlier, Deng Xiaoping forewarned in his unforgettable message to the UN General Assembly at its Special Session on 10 April 1974:

“If one day, China should change its color and turn into a superpower, if she too should play the tyrant in the world, and everywhere subject others to her bullying, aggression, and exploitation, the people of the world should identify her as social-imperialism, expose it, oppose it, and work together with the Chinese people to overthrow it. “

The world is watching whether China’s actions will match President Xi’ Jinping’s words.  In the post-pandemic era, the world wishes to be governed by the Rule of Law.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in its Preamble, declares that the States Parties are aware of the historic significance of this Convention, as an important contribution to the maintenance of peace, justice and progress for all peoples of the world.  

Evidently, China has a lot to gain from the legal order established under UNCLOS, which ensures peace and stability in the South China Sea, and conversely, China has a lot to lose, if tension and conflict continue to prevail because of the non-observance of this legal order.

The Philippines and China have historic and cultural ties; we are not only neighbors but also kinfolk.  Let us move two steps forward by restoring the status quo ante when Mischief Reef was not occupied by China and continue with this positive approach by complying with our duty to cooperate under UNCLOS, particularly with the protection of the marine environment and the promotion of sustainable fisheries.