The Laughter of a Hypocritical World

Photo from: CNN Philippines

Joel Rocamora wrote an article in Rappler about Duterte's "pivot to China." He panned Duterte's alignment with China - and Russia. He questioned its strategic value - or lack of it, and declared that Duterte is "incompetent." The gist of Rocamora's article can just be reduced into his two scathing rhetorical questions: "Does he even know the meaning and the repercussions of his anti-US and pro-China statements? Does he realize that the only thing standing in the way of China’s ambitions in Southeast Asia is American military might?" Rocamora's analysis is all shine but wanting in substance. It dismisses Duterte's strategic move as hogwash but fails to demonstrate that this strategic move is the least desirable option given the current geopolitical situation. What ultimately weakened Rocamora's analysis is his questionable appreciation of facts, events, current political economic reality, and US interests.

The Little Girl in a Red Coat

China's welcome to Duterte is rife with symbolism. I wrote earlier about the intimate handshake given to him by Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister. After that encounter, Duterte was greeted with a bouquet of flowers by a little girl in a red coat.

Détente with China: Duterte’s rational foreign policy

The hopes of the Filipinos go with President Duterte as he sits at the negotiating table with China this week. He carries with him a historical understanding of the trade and cultural relationship between these two countries.

The arbitration case the Philippines won at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is a comfort and clarification to some and confusing to others. It is essential to approach negotiations pragmatically without aggression and condescension by understanding the furor raised by a commonly invoked case. 

The Touch that Melted Years of Icy Relations

In my Foreign Policy & Diplomacy class, our professor taught us to take culture seriously and to not only focus on verbal cues. The non-verbal dimensions of interactions of leaders matters a lot, and sometimes more than what they express verbally.