The art of making noise

If only all headlines are believable, this one would have beaten the dead horse of Philippine chances back to life in its dispute with China over contested territories in the South China Sea -- “Obama warns China against using force and intimidation in its maritime disputes with its neighbors.”

To Filipinos, that headline would have represented the long awaited reassurance that when push comes to shove, America will honor its treaty commitments to the Philippines and rush to our aid in case China decides to strong-arm us into submission.

Alas, not all headlines are believable. Sometimes headlines are born of the fiction in the headline writer's head. Just consider the quoted headline above. Nowhere in the accompanying story did Obama actually warn China against using force against the Philippines or some other party to the South China Sea disputes.

The basis for the story, and consequently its headline, was a press statement issued by the White House on the heels of a meeting between Obama and several top Chinese officials concerning a wide range of issue. No direct quote from the American president was even cited to shore up the story and back the headline.

All that the White House press statement said was that Obama urged China to manage its maritime disputes with its neighbors peacefully, without the use of intimidation or coercion. Please forgive me, but I simply cannot see any warning in the statement.

A warning, no matter how nicely put, is like a veiled threat. It carries with it an implied consequence that is anything but nice. But no matter how much I read and reread the White House press statement, I just could not find a single basis to consider the story as a warning, with the appropriate headline to boot.

Even if Obama had meant to actually warn China, the finesse that is woven into the presidency disallows him to be so blunt and direct. Remember, the story itself said the Chinese had come visiting. There was no way Obama, given his position, would have chosen to rile his guests in his own home.

A description of gentle reminder instead of warning would have suited the story better, and given it the appropriate headline it deserves. Besides, I do not think it would be in the best interest of the US to start warning China. It is rather too late in the day for that.

To the US, China is not Irag or Iran. It is not Afghanistan. It is a mysterious no-blink country, and America is loathe to find out what could be in store for itself if China gets the illusion it is being itself bullied. My guess is that all the US could do is make periodic noises for the benefit of its dignity.

The US is playing a very careful game with China, so headline writers need to get it into their heads that the US will never issue a warning against China for the simple reason that China might actually call the bluff. And then what?

Yes indeed. What if China ignores the warning or, God forbid, actually does something meant to force the American hand? The answer will depend on what China does and where it does it. And guess what China can do and where it can do it? Why, grab some islands from the Philippines.

Short of an actual invasion, America will never intervene in any land grabbing by China in the Philippines, a mutual defense treaty notwithstanding. Stealing a few small rocks in the ocean, even from a pal, is too small and insignificant for America to knock on the door to nuclear warfare.

Besides, America has already given the Philippines a couple of tokens for its friendship -- two mothballed former US Coast Guard cutters. The Philippines has been given the hammers. Certainly it would not expect America to do the swinging.

Despite what the headline writers saw and what the headlines suggested, the US did not and will never issue a warning against China. Besides, even if it wanted to or could have done so, it would still be too late in the day for that. China after all had already been harassing the Philippines. What is there to warn against?