"The Chinese are too strong, too assertive. That is why a Pax Sinica
is very threatening to us," said an analyst from Vietnam's Diplomatic
Academy to a reporter from the Atlantic magazine. Vietnam has cause for concern: China invaded it 17 times.
Vietnam is not resting on China's assurances that it is only
interested in business and harbors no imperial ambitions. Vietnam
recently spent $200 million to rehabilitate Cam Ranh Bay, probably the
largest and most important US naval base during the Vietnam War, to make
it available for use by foreign navies.
In Vietnamese "making Cam Ranh Bay available for foreign navies"
means laying out the welcome mat for the US. In Chinese "laying out the
welcome mat for the US" means containment, a bad word to the communist
tyrants in Beijing. The phrase also means containment in Vietnamese and
English but it's a good word as far as they and the rest of the
civilized world are concerned.
Everybody wants to keep China in check. (No pun intended.)
Nobody wants Pax Sinica or Chinese hegemony. Everybody welcomes
increased "US meddling in Asia-Pacific affairs", to use Beijing's
characterization of US presence, because no civilized country wants an
utterly corrupt totalitarian regime exercising exclusive control over
the South China Sea. Everybody wants someone who can guarantee that
Beijing will not make unilateral moves that violate "the rules-based
order that has served the region for six decades." Everybody understands
that a countervailing power to Beijing is necessary and the US is it.
It's the only country that can keep Beijing from running wild.
Why point out the obvious? Because there are those in this country
who still persist in promoting juvenile nationalism, blind
anti-Americanism fueled by outdated Cold War propaganda. Well, times
have changed my dear Jomanians and we have to adjust to new realities: a
former oppressor is now our bodyguard against a future oppressor,
yesterday's imperialist is now our only protection against tomorrow's
imperialist.
The best national security decision made so far is to allow the US
access to Subic and Clark. We are not selling out, we are simply doing
what is best for us, at this time and under the circumstances. If
Vietnam can open Cam Ranh Bay to a former enemy why can't Subic and
Clark be made available to an old friend and ally? Besides, there is a
commonality of national interest between the US and the nations around
the South China Sea: the US wants freedom of navigation, we want freedom
from Beijing's incursions into our seas.
Will the occasional US visits turn into permanent US bases? Maybe
they could but it definitely won't happen anytime soon. The US cannot
afford permanent overseas bases right now, "places not bases" is the new
Pentagon mantra. Besides, experience has shown that bases agreements
are messy and expensive while visiting or status of forces agreements
are neater and cheaper, both for the US and the host country, so why go
back to it?
The Jomanians' fear that US bases will return and become US territory
once again is not grounded on reality, it comes from robotic thinking.
We have to celebrate a new era in Philippine-US relations instead of
mindlessly chanting slogans that give Beijing an erection.
Another thing to keep in mind is the new US Pacific strategy does not
stand on access to Subic and Clark. The US can port its ships and land
its planes in India, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan,
South Korea, and soon in places like Cam Ranh Bay. We need US presence
to fend off China more than the US needs Philippine hospitality to keep
the sea lanes open to navigation. We have to live with that reality
until we become strong enough to stand up to China or any other
ambitious neighbor.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
is a fellow of Action for Economic Reforms
No comments:
Post a Comment