IT’S BEEN OVER 20 years since China took radical steps to address its rapidly growing demand for food and energy, trying to find a solution in a maritime region named after the biggest communist state in the world.
Amid an extremely bloated population, China is compelled to find viable sources from where they could harvest food to feed its 1.42 billion people and siphon energy to power up its growing industries.
Moving forward, China masterfully asserted domination over the South China Sea where experts found an abundant supply of both food and the so-called black oil underneath the eastern strip of the maritime region.
However, the area they are looking at is well within the 200-nautical mile Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
DOMINANT GREED
But greed seemed more dominant behind China’s effort to feed its people and light up its industries. Oh yes, China seemed to want more as it created artificial islands where military installations were constructed.
Unmindful of the 73-year old Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States, and a 2016 ruling issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, China stood firm on its claim over the entire South China Sea.
The motive is clear. China badly needs everything they could find in the disputed maritime region, not just to feed their population or energize industries but for world domination by controlling the international navigational strip which serves as a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.
China has what it takes to go to war, and in effect reap everything under the surface of the entire South China Sea, and benefit much from the Philippine government’s oil exploration.
LIFE-THREATENING AGGRESSIONS
To prove my point, China has repeatedly shooed, shoved, water-cannoned and rammed Philippine vessels sailing a maritime region well within our exclusive economic zone.
In view of its aggression and wanton disregard of international laws, China has been at the receiving end of global condemnation over its behavior.
I have already lost count as to how many diplomatic protests have been filed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) over “life-threatening aggressions” at the West Philippine Sea.
And the MDT? There’s a slim chance that the Donald Trump-led US would come and defend the Philippines.
A backdoor diplomatic channel is still the best option for the Philippines to deal with China. We can’t afford to go to war, nobody wins a war.