In the history of the Philippines, the Aquino family is an inescapable name. Corazon Aquino and her son, Benigno Aquino III, were both presidents, but their foreign policy was two completely different paths.
When his mother, Corazon, was president from 1986 to 1992, anti-American sentiment was evident, and she closed American military bases and stabilized China.
When his son Beninho was in power from 2010 to 2016, he was tough on China and closer to the United States. Why is there such a big difference between the policies of mother and son?
Corazon Aquino: Anti-American is the voice of the times
Corazon Aquino, nicknamed "Corrie". She was originally a housewife with no political experience, and her husband, Benigno Aquino II, was a sworn enemy of the Marcos regime,
In 1983, he was shot dead at the airport while returning home, which ignited public anger. Three years later, the "People's Power Revolution" broke out, Marcos was ousted, and Corazon became president.
The Philippines she took over was a mess. Marcos's 20-year reign was marked by a deep debt affair, a collapsing economy, high unemployment, and a military insurgency and communist rebellion in the country.
After she came to power, her first task was to clean up the mess, build up a democratic system, and invigorate the economy. Foreign policy was not the focus, but she did something big — shut down U.S. military bases.
The US military base in the Philippines is not a matter of a day or two. After World War II, the United States stationed troops at Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base, which were the strategic fulcrum of the United States in Asia during the Cold War.
But by the end of the '80s, Filipinos were increasingly unhappy with these bases.
Why? On the one hand, the base is seen as a relic of the colonial era, and the issue of sovereignty is infuriating; On the other hand, there are many incidents caused by American GIs, such as in 1989 near Subic Bay, an American soldier killed a Filipino worker, and the people directly blew up the pot.
In 1991, when the U.S. base lease expired, the Philippine Senate voted 12-11 not to renew the lease. At first, Corazon actually wanted to stay at the base because she was a bit dependent on the United States economically, but in the end she obeyed the will of the people and supported the closure.
This incident has been praised by many people, saying that it is a sign of the true independence of the Philippines.
However, as soon as the base was closed, tens of thousands of people in the vicinity lost their jobs, and the economy was also affected. Why is Corazon anti-American? A large part of the reason is that the Philippines was the work of the United States during the Marcos era.
During Marcos's reign, the United States has always been his supporter, and even if he made the people's livelihood miserable, the United States did not turn its face. After the fall of Marcos, the common people have a long-standing grudge against the United States and feel that the United States is Marcos's accomplice.
Corazon followed this nationalist sentiment and shut down the American base, which was both a political necessity and a historical reckoning.
When Corazon became president, China was not what it is now as an economic and military power.
In the 80s, China was busy with reform and opening up, and it was very low-key diplomatically. The South China Sea issue was not heated up at that time, and there was no major contradiction between the Philippines and China. In 1988, Corazon went to China for a visit and was the first Philippine president to go, but this trip was mainly a formality, talking about cultural exchanges, and nothing strategic.
Corazon's China policy is quite calm, neither close nor far away, just ordinary.
Benigno Aquino III: Being anti-Chinese and pro-American is forced by the situation
Benigno Aquino III became president in 2010. When he came to power, the situation in the Philippines was completely different from that of his mother. Democracy has stabilized and the economy has improved, but a new trouble has arisen – China is becoming more assertive in the South China Sea.
In 2012, the Scarborough Shoal incident brought the Philippines and China to the forefront.
Scarborough Shoal is a disputed part of the South China Sea that both the Philippines and China claim to be their own. That year, Chinese ships stopped the Philippine ship from approaching, and the two sides were at a stalemate for two months.
The Philippines eventually withdrew, but China gained the upper hand and took Scarborough Shoal under control.
Beninho wasn't going to put up with it. In 2013, the Philippine government sued China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, arguing that China's "nine-dash line" was illegal and violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
This trick of the Philippines is tantamount to bringing housework to the international community. China did not admit the debt and did not participate in the arbitration, but in 2016 the court ruled in favor of the Philippines, saying that China's claim had no legal basis.
Although China does not care about this ruling, the Philippines has "earned" face in the international community, which can be regarded as emboldening itself. While playing with China, Beninho is bringing the United States closer.
In 2014, the Philippines and the United States signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows U.S. troops to rotate at bases in the Philippines. This is completely contrary to the policy of the Korazonguan base.
The reason he did this was because China was too aggressive in the South China Sea, and the Philippines had a weak military of its own, so it could only rely on the United States to support it.
As soon as this agreement was signed, the U.S. military came back, bringing equipment and training, which was equivalent to adding insurance to the Philippines. Of course, this matter is also controversial. Some people say, doesn't this cede sovereignty to the United States again?
But Beninho feels that safety is more important than anything else. He also has relations with countries such as Japan and Australia, and wants to find a few more helpers to deal with China.
Mother and son: The times are different, the path is different
The core reason for the foreign policy of the mother and son is that they face different times and problems.
When Corazon came to power, the Philippines had just crawled out of Marcos' shadows. At that time, everyone was busy rebuilding democracy and cleaning up the economic mess, and the United States was scolded badly for supporting Marcos.
The closure of the base is in line with the will of the people, and it is also to get rid of the burden of history. When Beninho came to power, democracy was already stable and the economy had a foundation, but because of the South China Sea issue, he had to protect his "turf", and his foreign policy naturally had to change.
In the 80s, China was still a developing country, and Corazon didn't have to worry about China. By the 2010s, China had risen, its economy soared, and its military power was tough. Beninho is facing a completely different level of opposition and he has to find reinforcements.
Corazon's focus is domestic, diplomacy is secondary. She has to let the country take a breather, attract foreign investment, and close the base for the sake of sovereignty and the people's will. Beninho is different, he has to deal with external threats, the protection of the sea is the top priority, and the help of Latin America is a realistic option.
Both mother and son are good for the Philippines, but they face different challenges and choices.
During Corazon's reign, anti-American was the mainstream in the Philippines; During Beninho's reign, public opinion turned anti-China, especially after the Scarborough Shoal incident, Filipinos felt that China was bullying them, so more people supported cooperation with the United States.
Corazon and Beninho's paths, although they went in opposite directions, were the best solutions for them at the time. How the Philippines will go in the future depends on what the leadership thinks.
Resources:
1. On February 27, 1986, Marcos left the Philippines and Corazon Aquino took office People's Daily Online 2017-02-27
2. Exposing the Eight Tricks of the Documentary of the South China Sea: Self-talk and Secretly Changing the Concept Xinhua International July 10, 2015