A strategic view of foreign relations

Amidst the crisis that now grips the world and is hammering the US, Europe and Japan, it seems at first glance to make good sense for the Philippines to just retreat to its cocoon and wait till the world recovers from the fever. If we are to believe our economic managers, we Filipinos have been relatively spared from the crisis. Why get engaged abroad at this time when every country is wrestling with its own problems, and most are inclined to be protectionist in their policies?

The answer is quite obvious now. As the global crisis has spiraled from bad to worse, and with still no bottom in sight, it has become painfully clear that the crisis affects all nations, ourselves included. To overcome this nerve-wracking meltdown, the world needs sustained international reform and greater economic coordination among the nations. In the words of one analyst, the world today lacks “a center of gravity” because the lone superpower is the most heavily stricken by the crisis. The quest is on for a new world order and a new international financial architecture. 

Time for long-term thinking

In a recent Newsweek article, Craig Barrett, a retired Intel CEO, makes this interesting point: “Market share is won or lost during transitions...You cannot save your way out of a recession, you can only invest your way out...CEOs must [have] the courage to buck the conventional wisdom of Wall Street and invest through the downturn...It’s time for long-term thinking in an environment that has too often been dominated by quarterly statements.”

The same holds true for nations. This period of major crisis and change in the world economy calls for long-term, strategic thinking in every nation – especially with respect to its foreign and economic relations with the world.

In the case of the Philippines, this means thinking afresh about our ties with the world and with every major foreign partner: the United States, China, Japan, East and Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and on to the other nations of the world.

Transitions and changes are taking place in the world today because of the colossal pain wrought by the global financial meltdown. Even when governments remain the same, policies will be adjusted or changed. The list of concerns – from trade to investments to overseas labor, etc. – is long.

It hardly needs saying that routine diplomacy will not do in this challenging time. Our diplomacy has to be more expert and nimble. We have to be engaged in protecting advantages, seeking out new opportunities, forging new understandings, and strengthening partnerships. Today, it’s truly correct to say that we need the best that our foreign service can give us. We delude ourselves, however, if we imagine that we can get a dynamic foreign service without the nation attaching a new sense of importance to foreign affairs. It is in this light that I believe we need to organize in our country a private council or think tank that can address our long-term and strategic needs in foreign affairs, as an aid to the President and the DFA.

Philippine council on foreign relations

In the West, this has been a longstanding tradition. The practice has since been copied in the more forward-looking states of Asia like Singapore, Korea and Japan. The US has its justly famous Council on Foreign Relations, which has been in existence since 1921. The United Kingdom has Chatham House or the Royal Institute of International Affairs. And just a few years ago, the European Council of Foreign Relations was established with 50 leading voices and veterans of diplomacy and government in Europe forming its initial membership.

Such a Council, of more modest scope, could serve our needs today. The Council should be an independent, nonpartisan membership organization that is dedicated to helping its members and the public to better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the Philippines and other countries. The Council should carry out its mission by (1) convening meetings to discuss and debate major international issues, (2) supporting a Studies Program that fosters independent research that analyzes foreign policy issues, (3) publishing a foreign affairs journal, and (4) sponsoring Independent Task Forces that produce reports with both findings and policy prescriptions on the most important foreign policy topics.

The crisis and uncertainty of the times compels us to look afresh at the world we live in and our ties with other nations. With our fate bound with other peoples, we have to be more adept than ever in our diplomacy. We need a better grasp of the issues at the heart of world affairs and the global economy today. And we need a diplomatic corps that can professionally discharge the task of representing the 13th most populous country. Now is the time to upgrade our capabilities, strengthen our diplomatic bench, expand the base of foreign service recruitment, and identify the opportunities for the nation during the transition. Our goal should be to enhance our competitiveness so that by the time global recovery comes, we will be in position to reap the dividends.

In February 2009, my column expressed the same sentiments. Today, sovereign debt issues in the US and Europe are endangering the health of the global economy. Closer to home, we face the challenge of the South China Sea issue – our claim vis-à-vis the other claimants – threatening peace and stability in the region. Do we really have a national policy to respond to these challenges? Now more than ever, the establishment of a Council is an imperative for the reasons I have stated above. 

I welcome a dialogue on how this Council initiative might be organized and taken forward. I ask members of academe, former Presidents/government officials, legislators, columnists and editors and the private sector to give me your views and suggestions. I particularly urge Filipino business to discuss and support this worthy endeavor because your presence will insure sustainability and independence. My email is [email protected].