The question we ask – is it the carabao poking the panda bear, or the other way around? Clearly, the two incidents prove who the “poker” is.
Last Sunday, a China Coast Guard vessel blocked and collided with a Philippine boat that was on a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal – then two hours later, a Chinese maritime militia vessel bumped a Philippine Coast Guard ship in Philippine territorial waters.
Obviously, it’s not the Philippines that has been displaying aggressive behavior. And it’s also quite ridiculous for China to demand that Philippine vessels should seek their “permission” first before conducting supply missions, because Ayungin Shoal is located well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
In April 2020, a China Coast Guard ship rammed a Vietnamese fishing vessel near Paracel Islands, causing the fishing boat to sink. Just this August, two Vietnamese fishermen were injured when a CCG vessel fired water cannons at their fishing boat – the same kind of behavior they have shown against Philippine vessels.
Unfortunately, there are still people in our country who continue to say that we should not poke the Chinese panda bear because it can bite us with its sharp teeth, it has claws and can be vicious when angered. But you should remember that although the carabao has a lot of forbearance and can be extremely patient, it can also be vicious and will go on a rampage when repeatedly poked and provoked.
There is little that could be done about the deterioration of our bilateral relationship with China – unless the aspiring Asian superpower abandons its outlandish territorial claims over the entire South China...
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