Look for a sane way out of China crisis

The conflict with China over territory has escalated and this development cannot be good for either country. Hotheads in both countries are to blame for this state of affairs. Media, social and mainstream, in both countries have fanned a xenophobic perspective of the situation resulting in its fast escalation to a near crisis point.

From the very beginning, this column has advocated a calm and reasonable approach, one without the inflammatory rhetoric that could only make things worse. Once national pride gets into the equation, it gets very difficult to extricate ourselves from a situation that will do us or them no good.

Unfortunately, in this Facebook era, there are just too many people on both sides of the pond who don’t use their heads and they recklessly increase the decibel level of conflict as if this was some schoolyard brawl. The initial approach of our DFA and the local Chinese Embassy for a civilized diplomatic discussion of the problem melted away in a flurry of angry words from ordinary citizens of both countries.

Soon enough the Internet hackers were at work vandalizing websites in both countries. Then the Chinese travel sector seemingly on its own, cancelled tourism related visits to the Philippines. Some sectors in our country held protest rallies, something the Chinese used as an excuse for the mass cancellation of tourist reservations to visit our country.

None of these developments should be allowed to fester and develop into something more serious. Neither of our countries can afford a worsening confrontation.

Both of our countries benefit from the maintenance of cordial ties. If the issue is such that no resolution is imminent in the short term, both countries should agree to put it in the back burner and quietly work on it over a longer period of time while we all go on our regular business in the usual cordial manner.

I agree with the position of Sen. Manny Villar who urged the public to rally behind President Aquino in his quest for a peaceful resolution of the Panatag standoff. “For me, it is better if we keep quiet about the issue as of now,” he added. “This should not be misconstrued as cowardice but we should allow the tension to die down because this can be done through diplomacy.”

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. likewise said dialogue is still the best approach to easing tensions. “I think we should continue our dialoguing with the Chinese, which is what we are doing through the embassy here,” Belmonte told reporters. “I don’t think it is to anybody’s advantage to be to be rattling the sword at anybody.”

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo noted that P-Noy’s “handling of the Panatag Shoal situation has been a demonstration of calm and assured leadership. While he has been firm, he has not allowed himself to be drawn into hysterical reactions demanded by ultra-nationalists.”

Romulo continued: “Perhaps he appreciates the fact that China is in a leadership transition where nobody wants to appear to be a wimp. Like us, a compromise would have been politically damaging now than it would be at any other time. Patience is therefore the virtue that is called for in this situation.”

My long-time friend Greg Atienza had this wise post on his Facebook wall: “… recall that we renounce war as an instrument of national policy. So, why not treat this standoff as a business opportunity rather than a political issue. We’re not going to lose face by being smart.

“Let’s talk joint exploration, the way joint venture partnerships are made. We will need foreign investments to explore and develop that area anyway. Gather our best minds to hammer out a strategy… in the meantime, quiet please.”

Sen. Ralph Recto is right to call for the immediate deployment of a contingent of economic and business diplomats that would engage China and its business leaders in spirited discourse on the joint exploration of the vast economic potentials of the contested areas. In this sense, what Manny Pangilinan is doing by talking with a Chinese government owned petroleum company is exactly the way to go.

Recto likewise appealed to Philippine and Chinese governments to refrain from further agitating their own people by dishing out heated statements and instead issue a call for national sobriety. “We don’t want this to further escalate. Both sides should take a pause and allow nationalist emotions to simmer down. Everybody should stop stoking the fire,” he said.

The senator said the latest move to shut down commercial flights to and from China and the cancellation of tourist package tours bound for the country could be an indication that the “hawks” has gained the temporary upper hand.

The tourism boycott launched by Chinese travel agents is starting to bite. Industry sources told me that they have started to receive mass cancellations in charter and regular flights as well as hotel bookings well into July and beyond. The number quoted to me is at the level of about 4,000 persons a day. The Chinese are now neck to neck with the South Koreans for the top spot in foreign tourist arrivals in Boracay, up until now.

The hotheads have jeopardized our tourism program just as it was starting to have traction. This is such a pity but not surprising. I am always worried about how we always shoot ourselves in the foot just as we are starting to get going.

There is now too much national pride involved on both sides of the pond for this crisis to melt away any time soon. But we must all try to give our diplomats enough elbow room to negotiate and prevent a further escalation of the crisis. I am sure that an escalation is not in the national interest.

Air traffic control

A reader, who seems to know what he is talking about, sent his reaction to a previous column. Here are excerpts of that e-mail.

I read with great interest your article “Dangerous Places” – especially the part concerning Mar Roxas.

You cannot talk about airport congestion without talking about air traffic management… Air traffic management in this country is in a terrible shape. Only three controller positions are operating at the Area Control Center (ACC) and the system is dangerously overloaded. All these delays are not only coming from the saturation of the Manila runway but also from the outdated ground base air traffic management system.

As you rightly mentioned, the satellite based project (CNS/ATM) that could solve all this has been sitting on Mar’s desk, for review, for more than 10 months. An ICAO expert emphasized last November that the project should be urgently implemented.

Mar has been using the excuse that he does not understand the project and feels it may not even be needed. Three months ago he hired an independent American consultant who came to Manila for 3 days to look at the project. The consultant concluded that the project is urgently needed, with some suggested minor cosmetic changes.

After visiting the ACC, the Control Tower and the Approach Radar, the consultant described their state to “being in a highway in your car with 3 flat tires and nowhere to go”. In spite of his clear warnings, nothing has moved.

Yesterday there was an article in another newspaper saying that the CNS/ATM will have to go back to NEDA-ICC because of the delay encountered in its implementation. This new delay will generate extra costs for the Filipino tax payers.

I agree with you on the management style of Mar - his door is closed, locked and sealed from outsiders… All four undersecretaries are brilliant lawyers and their assistants are also lawyers. It would be more appropriate, however, to have engineers or transport specialists occupying these positions, along with the support of a strong legal team.

DOTC is responsible for and supervises 17 to 19 agencies. Its Chief should be a technocrat who issues general policies, states objectives, sets timetables and ensures that work is properly done and delivered on time. He should not, preferably, be the president of a party, especially a year before an important election.

Regarding the CNS/ATM project, you mentioned that former Sec. Ping de Jesus ”reviewed the project and thought the costs were suspiciously on the high side”. I respectfully disagree. As you can see in the attached memo, the project was thoroughly reviewed by Sec. de Jesus and found to be in order. Nowhere is it mentioned that the project costs are on the high side. Perhaps Sec. de Jesus could confirm this himself.                   

Mom’s day

Rosan Cruz sent this one.

GF to BF: Hon, I think I am pregnant.

BF to GF: You know… I am not fond of motherhood statements.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco