We must help stop China's hegemonist schemes

After the death of Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China, his successor Deng Xiaoping embarked on a course undreamed of in Mao's time: restoring capitalism and shaking the foundations of socialism to its core. He justified  it in these terms: "It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice", and "To get rich is glorious."

        Today, China is said to have overtaken the US as the economic superpower. But with its rise as an economic colossus, it has also begun building a very powerful military in an apparent bid to dislodge the US as a Pacific power and increasingly assert its military might in  this part of the world.

        This is the context in which China is becoming more assertive in claiming disputed territories in the South China Sea, frenziedly reclaiming land in islets and reefs that could soon be used for military purposes.

        The Philipines has one of the weakest military in Southeast Asia and can only shrug its shoulders as China continues with its aggressive reclamation activities in the South China Sea.      

        But let it not be said that we are doing nothing to stop China's not-so-subtle imperialist designs.

        We are on the right track in insisting on the peaceful settlement of the maritime dispute under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Tribunal on the Law of the sea (ITLOS).

        But insisting on the rule of law does not mean sitting idly by while China chases our fishermen from their traditional fishing grounds off the coasts of  Palawan and Zambales provinces.

        We must also build alliances with other countries to thwart China's hegemonist ambitions.

        President Aquino's recent signing of an agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe  for a defense equipment sharing agreement is a positive development along this line.

        The agreement also provides for joint trainings by Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Corollary to this, a Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines Japan is also said to be in the works. We will soon have three VFAs: with the United States, Australia and Japan.

        We have also recently fostered closer ties with Vietnam which also claims the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

        While we steadily build a credible defense posture by getting more modern military equipment from other countries, it makes sense to build a solid united front against Chinese expansionism.

        We must not allow the "great wall in the sand" now being built by China in the  South China Sea to go unchallenged, or else we may soon find PLA troops descending in droves on our western shores. 

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