Noy: Choice for envoy to China not limited to career execs

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino said the criteria in the selection of the new ambassador to China will not be limited to being a career diplomat, given the complexity of relations between Manila and Beijing.

“We’re reviewing... The criteria are different. It will not be basically just career... We need somebody who understands the nuances of Chinese culture, how their system works and who has developed contacts left and right to be able to reach the opinion makers and those whose opinions really matter,” Aquino told reporters.

Businessman Domingo Lee had formally asked the President to withdraw his nomination as ambassador to China after he was bypassed several times by the Commission on Appointments.

The President said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario gave him a shortlist of Lee’s possible replacement and one of them is a “young” and “very gifted” diplomat.

“Our foreign affairs secretary is very impressed and I’m supposed to be interviewing him,” he said.

“I would like to think that my adviser on foreign affairs, the secretary, is very competent before recommending this person he vetted,” he added.

“But let me repeat, in the case of Ambassador Lee – somebody who is prominent in the Chinese community, is Chinese or will know of the Chinese culture, knows how their system works and has established a lot of contact. That was the reason why he was nominated,” Aquino said.

The President said he asked the search committee and other groups to also give their nominees.

The President said the position is very important, especially now that the Philippines is fighting for its territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines and China are currently in a standoff in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“There are tensions, it’s very important,” he said, adding that he does not want the current tiff with China to be an obstruction to the country’s economic progress.

“We have potential issues that can become bigger if we don’t handle it well. So you need somebody who’s competent in everything,” Aquino said.

Aside from knowing the Chinese system, the President said the next ambassador to China must be “mature and patient.”

“There are many criteria because of the very sensitive post. So if there is a person among career (officials), good. There is somebody I was thinking of but there seemed to (be) some health reasons... I think he suffered stroke recently, so we’re getting other nominees,” Aquino said.

“So I’m very open to their ideas... There are others, businessmen of Chinese descent but unfortunately they are still businessmen. There is a prohibition, they cannot occupy the position if they have interests in China,” he said.