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Ruffy Magbanua

HOW do we stop China from occupying the West Philippine Sea? Sadly, there is no way to tell the Chinese to leave the area by now, not even the country’s closest and most trusted ally, the US, can muster the gall to kick the butts of the Chinese off the disputed islands.

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Like it or not, China’s bullying spree is unstoppable, and  no amount of diplomatic protests can soften the stance of the Chinese to back off, not anymore this time when they have already invested so much in the islands – from building runways to constructing permanent structures and lately, putting up ground-to-air missiles!

China’s foreign policy is reportedly anchored on this unwritten rule: No talk, less mistake; more talk, more mistake.  Truly, while we do the talking, the Chinese do the walking, in this case encroaching the resourceich islands off the West Philippine Sea tacitly— and with all impunity!

The Chinese occupation of the West Philippine Sea is in direct violation of the  EEZ or the Exclusive Economic Zone, as defined by Unclos, otherwise known as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, of which both the Philippines and China are state signatories.

And so, just how powerful is China now? There is this longunning toilet humor aptly describing how mighty the Chinese are today. If China’s million army will  jump in unison all at the same time, the earth’s axis will tilt a bit. The rest, they say, will be history.

Given the inter-dependence of the US and Chinese economies, the US military has been silent in making any move that could heighten the brewing  tension between the two superpowers.

Although the US has regarded the Chinese expansion as a threat to its dominance in the  Asia-Pacific region, it  has been on a look-see attitude to challenge China militarily.

What appears to be inevitable for now is the establishment of at least five-point areas in the country, including the former Lumbia Domestic Airport, where American troops could build military facilities as “pre-positioning” mechanisms of both the Philippines and the US in the event of any atrocity in the West Philippine Sea.

In the context of a volatile economy coupled with political instability, the next President would have no choice but to grapple with ways and means to defend the archipelago.

On the business side, name a product these days and you will see the infamous “Made in China” label proudly engraved somewhere outside the item, a concrete  manifestation of China’s dominance in the world market.

Never mind the quality, China can deliver in quantity—at your doorstep anytime, anywhere.   And anything from the smallest chip of your computer to the biggest  construction supply and equipment, China has it.

Then why is almost everything made in China? Why do we seldom see labels like “Made in the USA,” “Made in Germany,” “Made in Japan,” “Made in Korea,” or “Made in Philippines”?

There is no such as thing as myth or magic in China’s products. And more so, there is no such direct answers to these questions.

Perhaps one reason would be the abundant supply of labor coupled with the low operational costs of  production and maintenance. In order to make China products competitive in the world market, the Chinese government sees to it that its currency is maintained at the lowest manageable level.

This country, made famous for its fake and copied products, places the label  “Made in China” in practically all of its products – from the smallest to the biggest ones. But in truth and in fact,  most parts were made in other countries and only assembled in China.

China is good at copying everything and anything under the sun. Quietly and secretly, Chinese manufacturing companies are reportedly in  collusion with copying companies that steal technology from other countries.

Meantime, as we bear the scorching heat of summer, China continues to widen its encroachment activity in the West Philippine Sea, the latest of which is another island called Jackson Atoll, a rich fishing ground for fishermen from nearby Palawan.

With this development, it would not be surprising to note however that one day, China would be able to claim the 7,100 islands of the Philippine archipelago.

Made in Philippine Islands, China, anyone?

E-mail: ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo.com

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