Troubling times

It is no surprise that in a recent survey done in Hong Kong, the Philippine government is one of the most hated. The Japanese government also shares the distinction. Ever since the unfortunate events of 2010, where a bus load of tourists from Hong Kong were held hostage by a former policeman, ending in the death of eight people including the hostage-taker, our relations with the special administrative region have never been the same. With the bungled rescue seen on TV all over the world, Hong Kongers have since then asked for an official apology from the president, which the latter did not give, and rightly so. Demands of monetary compensation have always filled the heated rhetoric. To this day, they feel the Philippine government has ignored all their demands.

Then, in April of 2012, the standoff at Scarborough Shoal occurred, bringing the issue of territorial disputes to bear. Hong Kong media was rife with reports then that we were preparing for war by sending a warship to the area instead of the usual Coast Guard to confront supposed illegal Chinese fishermen. China responded by sending more ships to the area, and practically cordoning off the area. Tensions have never been this high between Manila and Beijing, with no relief in sight. China also made their contempt felt by the measly one hundred thousand dollar donation to the victims of typhoon Yolanda. It was only after China received worldwide condemnation and ridicule that they upped the ante and even sent their hospital ship to Tacloban. But there is more.

China has established an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea. The zone overlaps some of the territorial airspaces of China and South Korea, which of course they vehemently opposed and condemned. America chimed in with its allies and even sent two unarmed B-52 bombers to the ADIZ in an obvious act of intimidation. Both Japan and South Korea have said that they would continue to fly aircraft, both civilian and military in the unrecognized ADIZ. How this plays out, we can only wait and see.

But what is troubling for the country is the statement by China's envoy to the country that a similar ADIZ may be set up over the West Philippine Sea. If we are to follow China's Nine-Dash claim over the sea, then the planned ADIZ would definitely overlap our airspace. The ADIZ requires all aircraft entering the zone to submit flight plans, identify itself and follow instructions from the Chinese. Failure to do so will elicit a military response. If that is not a threat to us, then nothing is. It seems diplomacy is of no use nowadays, especially when China is involved. China may say that we should just trust reach other, but with its aggressive claims to a large swath of the oceans, and now the air, that only sounds like lip service. With all that hate towards the government, and with China's continuing push for territorial dominance, these are indeed troubling times.

What would the world do?