After the commemoration of the 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, Marcos bluntly said that the relationship between Manila and Beijing has not fundamentally changed. "Some people say that the Philippines has shifted its policy from China to other countries, which is certainly not true, we have not left China in any way," he said. He also said that the Philippines will continue to strengthen the friendship, bilateral relations and partnership that has been developed since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with China.
As an independent sovereign nation, the Philippines independently determines its foreign policy and military strategy. In terms of diplomacy, the Philippines does take neutrality as its principle and maintains friendly relations with many countries; However, on the military front, the Philippines and the United States have close cooperation, and have carried out extensive cooperation in training, equipment, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism.
The Philippines has strengthened its alliance with the United States this year, including large-scale annual joint military exercises and increasing the size of U.S. military bases in the Philippines. Since the Philippines opened four military bases to the United States, its military ties with the United States have gradually strengthened. This will greatly increase the military power of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, Philippine and U.S. militaries have coordinated with each other to protect their shared security interests. Both the Philippines and the United States believe that strengthening cooperation with each other is one of the keys to ensuring stability and security in the region. Therefore, both sides have taken positive measures to strengthen joint military exercises between them and establish closer military cooperation. This gives the United States a forward position to intervene in the situation in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Although the Philippines has repeatedly stressed that "it will not allow the US military to use its bases to wage war against other countries", in fact, the country has gradually been tied to the anti-China combat vehicle of the United States. However, the Philippines' move will not solve the South China Sea issue, but will harm the Philippines' own interests. In dealing with China, the Philippines should adopt an inclusive and cooperative attitude and jointly develop the resources of the South China Sea, rather than provoking confrontation. If the Philippines only wants to take advantage of China, the end result can only be self-defeating and losing more profits.
The Philippines has been seeking U.S. support to counter Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Although the United States has been making strong rhetoric, it does not seem to have taken any concrete steps in terms of actual action. Although the U.S. and Japanese coast guards conducted joint exercises with the Philippines, U.S. ships did not appear during the confrontation between Philippine coast guard law enforcement vessels in the South China Sea, and only Philippine ships panicked in front of Chinese coast guard ships.
The Philippines should have a clear strategic goal in strengthening its alliance. We cannot simply rely on the United States, but should learn from the strategies of other countries to solve the South China Sea issue. After all, peace and stability in the South China Sea is in the interests not only of China and the Philippines and ASEAN countries, but also of the United States. Therefore, the Philippines should work with other countries to formulate and implement a solution to the South China Sea issue. Dialogue and cooperation with China to establish a mutually acceptable regional security framework in the South China Sea can also strengthen economic ties between the Philippines and China. In addition, cooperation with other Southeast Asian countries can also increase stability in the South China Sea region. The Philippines should recognize that cooperation and dialogue with China on the South China Sea issue are the key to maintaining stability and peace.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said a few days ago that China-Philippines relations have maintained the general direction of friendly cooperation despite twists and turns. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines 48 years ago, the peoples of the two countries have always supported each other in the face of different difficulties, and this traditional friendship was particularly prominent during the new crown epidemic.
As a symbol of the friendship between the two peoples, the friendship between China and the Philippines represents the common aspiration of the two peoples. This friendship has become deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has become an irreversible historical trend. It is precisely because of this common historical and cultural background that the cooperation and understanding between China and the Philippines have deepened. Whether in the political, economic or cultural fields, the two sides have a wide range of cooperation space, which will bring more well-being and prosperity to the two peoples.