By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files
China on Friday reminded President Aquino it had fought on the side of the Allied Powers against fascist Japan and Germany in World War II, after Aquino likened China’s encroachment into the South China Sea with Adolf Hitler’s hegemonic moves in World War II.
In a press briefing, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei said, “As an unwavering upholder of international justice, China made huge sacrifice and indelible historical contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. It is inconceivable and unreasonble to place China-Philippines South China Sea disputes in the same category with the WWII history.”
In an interview with New York Times Tuesday, Aquino had called on the international community to support the Philippine position of resisting China’s hegemonic moves in the South China Sea and not to make the mistake of appeasing the Asian superpower.
The Philippines and China have overlapping claims over areas in the South China Sea together with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
“At what point do you say: ‘Enough is enough’? Aquino asked? “Well, the world has to say it -— remember that the Sudetenland was given in an attempt to appease Hitler to prevent World War II,” Aquino, who prides himself on being a war history buff, told the New York Times in an interview in Manila.
Hong also said China was “shocked at and dissatisfied” with Aquino’s statement, calling his comparison of the South China Sea territorial dispute to Sudetenland as “inconceivable and “unreasonable.”
Germany was joined by Italy and Japan to form the Axis power against WWII Allies composed of Great Britain, United States, Russia, France, Poland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, China, Canada, British Raj (India), the Netherlands, Norway and Yugoslavia.
He also said Aquino “has never been a great candidate for a wise statesman in the region.”
Aquino Friday responded to the Xin Hua commentator by thanking him in Filipino for “reaffirming the validity of our position.(Nagpapasalamat nalang ako sa Xinhua dahil ang sabi nga parang nire-reaffirm iyong validity nung ating mga posisyon )”
He said, “There is a saying that if you can’t answer the issue, you resort to name-calling (“May kasabihan na kapag hindi mo kayang sagutin iyong isyu e mag-name calling ka na lang) .”
The Philippines has asked the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal to declare as illegal China’s 9-dash line map, which claims almost 80 per cent of the whole South China Sea as Chinese territory.
The full statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry:
Q: In a recent interview, the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III reportedly compared the Philippines which is in territorial disputes with China to pre-WWII Czechoslovakia. What is China’s response to his remarks? Are China-Philippines territorial disputes exacerbating?
A: The disputes in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines mainly stem from the Philippines’ illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of China’s Nansha islands. The fact is crystal clear. Our two countries also have disputes over the delineation of maritime boundaries. China firmly opposes the Philippines’ occupation of China’s islands and reefs. As an unwavering upholder of international justice, China made huge sacrifice and indelible historical contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. It is inconceivable and unreasonble to place China-Philippines South China Sea disputes in the same category with the WWII history. The Chinese side is shocked at and dissatisfied with the remarks from the Philippine side.
The Chinese government has firm resolve to uphold territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. We also commit to the settlement of relevant disputes through direct negotiation and consultation among relevant parties concerned. We hope that the Philippines will correct its mistakes and work toward the same goal with China to jointly uphold regional peace and stability.
(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for truth.)
To my dear Chinese friends, let me remind you:
GRANDCHILDREN are God’s reward for not killing your children.
—————-
And my favorite Confucius expression:
– Baseball is very wrong, MAN WITH FOUR BALLS CANNOT WALK.
while china maintains its arrogant and bullish-like claim over our territories, the president should let diplomatic means find its course in resolving the conflict. although he had already issued harsh statements he must refrain from further dragging the country into an imminent armed clash with china AND must consider the inferiority of our security forces in terms of manpower and firepower.
we can not fight china by means of “lakas ng loob” only.
again, babalik na naman tayo sa suggested CABBAGE strategy in defending our territories.
please see post # 40 in this thread:
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/2013/06/30/gazmin-makes-the-philippines-look-pathetic/
hindi lang naman tayo ang binibully ng china eh. pati japan rin.
China ang dami pang sinasabi. Pinablotter na ang China sa UNCLOS. Doon na lang sila sa presinto magpaliwanag. See you in court, mothafuckas
History just repeats itself with different player taking the role each time…some thousands years ago,it was the Roman, then the Grand Britania, the Germans and the axis, Japan with Italy (again as the second fiddler) and there was a time that China was an Empire…Now it is trying to regain it past Glory…but at what cost? Pnoy is just reminding the Chinese Leadership…It is not Worth it…
Aquino to China: We fought Marcos in 1986 Edsa Revolt.
There are ways to prove sovereignty. One is occupation, two is by exercise of jurisdiction, and of course, by legal declaration – the law of the sea.
The first two have been complied with, with respect to a island in the Spratlys, where Macoy established a “town” with two hundred inhabitants and a mayor. The law of the sea, of course, favors us.
So now China is trying to attain the first two elements. It has its troops out there, and it is requiring our request for their permission to fish. If we agree, then they will say that is acknowledgment of their jurisdiction.
Why the show of force? If we do not fish, they will deny there was force, they will say we did not fish because we acquiesced to their jurisdiction. Or, we did not fish because we had no permission. Ergo, we acknowledge their jurisdiction.
This is what Ambassador Baja calls the “effectivities” – that they effectively have control and wield that control over the area.
That, however, is trumped by the law of the sea, which they signed. Their agreement to the treaty implies that they agree to the 200 mile EEZ. That is where the Philippines has its strongest point.
It all boils down to the worn-out joke in law school. If you are strong on the facts, pound on the facts. If you are strong on the law, pound on the law. If neither, pound on the table.
China is pounding on the table, so that it can “develop” the facts. Then it will pound on the facts, if it ever participates in the arbitration.
As to the development of the facts, the rush to find marine archaelogical artifacts seems to be part of the game plan. I posted that in the earlier thread. Here it is again.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304470504579164873258159410
Oops, I was trying to access it again, to get quotes, but now I must subscribe. This means you can only view it once. On the second visit, the Wall Street JOurnal forces you to subscribe.
Anyway, the article talks about the rush to find marine arcaheological artifacts (Chinese junks, etc) to prove that the Chinese, centuries before, had already been plying that sea route; long before the Spaniards came, and before Pinoys had the boat capacity to reach that far off the seacoast.
Here is Japan’s stand on the issue.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/senkaku/fact_sheet.html
A good point I got while reading is:
So weak din yung ploy ni Macoy, that Tomas Cloma “discovered” the Spratlys. The occupation, and the setup of a “town” is what will be useful to us.
I dont think China expected the puny, poor Philippines to make so much noise just for Scarborough Shoal.
Yes, we should be firm in asserting our right over the islands that we claim to be our own even if they are also being claimed by other countries.
But in asserting our claim, we should be smart and wise.
Prudence is wisdom.
There is no room for irresponsible statements like comparing China with Nazis.
Now China reminded Aquino, whom Sec. Coloma said is well-versed in war history that China fought fascism which was what the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) were imposing on the world.
No one has yet revived the issue of Aquino’s grandfather as collaborator with fascist Japan.
Kaya mahirap talaga magsimula maghalungkat ng baho.
They can also claim America if they want to: http://www.amazon.com/1421-Year-China-Discovered-America/dp/0061564893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391874260&sr=8-1&keywords=1421
Nothing will stop them from taking the shoals. GMA tried direct negotiations ang bilateral agreement. Look what it got us. They are now ever closer to our shores and more belligerent.
Compared to other Phil Presidents, Pnoy is turning out to be more combative. China was correct in stating that she fought against Germany and Japan in WW2. The Chinese suffered under the hands of the Japanese for so long. Who can’t forget the “Rape of Nanking”? While Germany was invading Europe, Japan was invading Asia. Pnoy must think before he opens his mouth.
The communists chinese may have participated during world war II but the Chiang Kai Sek kuomintang did most of the hard work fighting the Japanese during the war. Seems like they are taking credits for something that they did not truly support. They let the nationalist kuomintang suffer the brunt of the war, a strategy to weaken them in the end to be able to control China. After the war, the japanese became a world power themselves but I have not seen them or they have not been an expansionist country but participated and assists other countries to be better. In short, they became good neighbors! The emerging China is not. They challenge everyone from India, Vietnam, Philippines, etc. Claim everything as theirs without really opening the doors for discussion. If they really want to why the condition for one on one? why have ships all over the place and even not allowing fisherman to fish. They are claiming tantamount to expansionism!
The emerging China may have some contribution but i think not the chinese communists. Japan is a friendly nation..so is US and the west! Aquino’s point of view may be a bit strong but it serve its purpose.
Chiang Kai Sek was corrupt especially his wife. Chiang was an American puppet just like many of the foreign leaders.
I have nothing against the Japan of today. Many of the old timers hard cores might have been dead by now. Today’s Japanese youth are more liberal and open. Gone were the days of imperialism. Japan learned her lesson tragically. Had the bomb not dropped on Hiroshima, Japan would not have surrendered easily. It was this atomic bomb that put a stop even on Japan’s conquer of China. After WW2, Mao Tse Tung took over destroying all the Chinese thousands of years cultures and traditions. The Cultural Revolution was a disaster. It pushed China backward. Credit must go to the late Teng Shao Peng who opened China’s door to foreign investors. The rest is history.
BTW, Japan never admits and still doesn’t apologize entirely for her atrocities including the Comfort Women.
Diplomacy is a better solution but it means a lot of sacrfices. If I may compare it to a settlement in a lawsuit when i am the aggrieve. It means I have to suck it up whatever the decision maybe. Also, the one that carry the large stick always wins! We should be resolute and unwavering if we want to keep the shoals and our eez, and ready to stand for out rights! Remember the vietnamese beat many superpower to be a nation! At the same time, we should be the same for good governance in order for the private club in governance change for the better.
Sometimes one has to think hard and understand what is said and written..in order to somehow differentiate what is factual and irrelevant!
Diplomacy is a better solution…I absolutely agree. But Pnoy does not have it.
Why is he the one answering a Xinhua opinion writer? He has three spokespersons (formerly four with Ricky Carandang) to do that for him.
The Xinhua writer must feel very flattered. Imagine a president of a country in a word war with you!!!
#21 Pnoy is a frustrated journalist.
Korek, Mannie, #22. Natural naman sa tao to have frustrations but he has to be reminded he is president and everytime he opens his mouth 90 million Filipinos are affected.
Like brother, like sister (Kris).
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-09/abe-aquino-views-on-china-unhelpful-says-u-s-general-carlisle.html
U.S. General Tells Japan, Philippines to Cool China Rhetoric
Comments by the leaders of Japan and the Philippines drawing parallels between China’s growing assertiveness in the region and events in pre-war Europe are “not helpful,” said the commander of U.S. air forces in the Pacific.
“The rise of Germany and what occurred between the U.K. in particular and Germany, and what happened in Europe, I don’t draw that comparison at all to what’s going on today” in the Asia-Pacific, General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, 58, said in an interview yesterday in Singapore. “Some of the things, in particular that have been done by Japan, they need to think hard about what is provocative to other nations.”
“The de-escalation of tensions has got to be a multilateral approach and it’s not just one country that needs to de-escalate,” said General Carlisle, a former fighter squadron commander who is responsible for air force operations for more than half the globe, with oversight of 45,000 personnel. “All of them do. The risk from miscalculation is high. It’s greater than it should be.”
Here’s the latest from Malacañang: huwag na lang daw pansinin ang sinabi ni PNoy about comparing China’s leaders with Hitler.
“Malacañang yesterday urged the Chinese government not to focus on the recent statement by President Benigno S. Aquino III and participate instead on the arbitration proceedings before the international tribunal.”
http://www.mb.com.ph/palace-urges-china-dont-focus-on-aquino-join-talks-instead/
Hahahahha? Bakit niya sinabi?
hindi na dapat pang ilayo ni noynoy aquino ang kanyang mga mata dahil nasa pilipinas na, NAPAKATAGAL nang unti unting sinasakop ng mga intsik ang ating bansa. gapang na dahan dahan subalit SIGURADO.
sino ba ang nagmamay-ari ng mga malalaking negosyo?
hindi ba’t nariyan ang mga SY, GOKONGWEI, TAN, SYTANGCO at ang presidente ay isang COJUANGCO!
umangal ba siya (noynoy) sa unlawful conversion of lands into COMMERCIAL HUB na ginagawa lalong lalo na nitong SM Holdings na pag-aari ni henry sy?
meron pa bang stake ang gobyerno sa PAL? hindi ba’t ang mga TAN at ANG ang mga may-ari niyon ilang panahon na mula nang i-privatized ang national flag carrier ng pilipinas?
ang tiger air, ang cebu-pacific, ang sea air. korporasyon ba ‘yan ng negosyanteng pinoy?
matagal na tayong inaalipin ng mga intsik dahil sa ating pagpapa-uto sa kanila.
eto ang isang maliwanag na halimbawa:
itong mga feng shui experts daw (di ba’t mga intsik?) na ang ipinang-aakit ay mga kung ano anong pang-akit ng suwerte, LIBRE ba ang ino-offer nila? may bayad, di ba?
dahil sa madaling utuin nga nag pinoy at karamihan ay umaasa sa pampasuwerte’t tinatamad magbanat ng buto, ‘yung konting perang nasa bulsa ay bibili at maghihintay na la’ang kung kailan darating ang sinasabing suwerte.
sino ang nagkakapera?
hindi ba’t ang mga intsik?
ang utong pinoy?
NGANGA!
Panahon ni Marcos lahat kontrolado. Ang mga insik ngayon na nag mamay ari ng malalaking kumpanya hindi masyadong mamamayagpag. Kita ng mga insik sa negosyo halos sa kanila lang lahat. Nagpapalago ng negosyo. Ang mga trabahador ay mga pilipino. Kawawang mga uto utong pinoy. Mga pango ang ilong. Ipinaglihi sa unggoy. Sunod sunuran sa kung ano ang iutos ng among intsik. Iyan kasi pinatalsik si Marcos. Iyan ang napala.
Mabuti intsik na ang may ari ng Pilipinas para ang mga pinoy lalong maapi. Maging utusan na lamang. Para ang karma sa pagpatalsik kay Marcos ay maramdaman palagi. Wala ng patutunguhan ang bansang Pilipinas sa kabutihan kundi sa kahirapan. Iyon ay dahil pinatalsik si Marcos ng mga uto utong pinoy sa Metro Manila.
Sobrang dami ng uto utong pinoy na ang pinaglilingkuran nila ay intsik. Kaya nararapat talaga na ibigay na lang sa China ang spratly island bilang pagtanaw sa utang na loob na maraming uto utong pinoy ang nakakakain at nagkakapera dahil sa kanila na mga intsik. Pati drugs ay intsik ang may koneksyon. Haha, panahon ni Marcos takot ang mga intsik mag negosyo ng drugs dahil tiyak bibitayin. Sisihin niyo ang mga tao uto utong tao na nasa metro manila na nagpatalsik kay Marcos.
Arvin, every time you write it’s all about how good Marcos was.
Even during the time of Marcos, there were already Filipino servants serving their Chinese masters. During the Spanish time, Filipino servants were serving their Spanish masters. Today, Filipinos are serving all races around the world as OFWs.
#14. “……… GMA tried direct negotiations ang bilateral agreement. Look what it got us. They are now ever closer to our shores and more belligerent.”
jake, really?
what i knew was gloria, her husband and their stooges led by SLN angelo reyes and hamberjer abalos directly byt slowly sold the philippines to china in the guise of awarding the aborted ZTE broadband deal.
long before henry sy built the mall of asia there was already gloria being the mole of china.
Speaking of ZTE deal scam which was as big if not worse than this Napoles/Pork Barrel scam, what ever happened to that case? Abalos and company are free still playing golf at Wack Wack.
#33. mannie, which is easier to catch and put in a cage or a pond, a fry or a crocodile?
oh, no. not a crocodile, it’s too dangerous but becoming extinct. a whale would be fitting.
remember my friend, big timers ya’ang mga ‘yan. bigatin. at hindi basta basta kakantiin ng gobyerno ni noynoy.
hindi ba’t halos wala nang ipinag-iba itong kasalukuyang pamahalaan doon sa dating pinalitan? walang bukambibig kundi pagganda ng ekonomiya, eh bakit daming nagugutom at walang hanapbuhay gayundin ang walang permanente’t disenteng tahanan?
oh, no. not a crocodile, it’s too dangerous AND becoming extinct.
Mr. Rivera, my answer to your question is: Fry the crocodile. 🙂