China and Philippine flags on Scarborough shoal.
Aquino’s “inflammatory approach while dealing with maritime disputes with China” has shown that he “has never been a great candidate for a wise statesman in the region,” said Ming Jinwei.
“His latest reported attack against China, in which he senselessly compared his northern neighbor to the Nazi Germany, exposed his true color as an amateurish politician who was ignorant both of history and reality,” came the scathing response to Aquino’s Hitler comparison.
Ming noted that diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines “have improved to some extent after the Chinese people extended a helping hand” following the devastation caused by super typhoon Yolanda November. Among the many foreign military ships that were sent to help the survivors, China stood out for sending its peace ship.
“Aquino's latest attack against China may very much have squandered this unique opportunity to further improve relations with China,” Ming said.
At the same time, the opinion writer noted how the other countries with similar territorial disputes with China have reached some form of resolution.
“It is very unfortunate that the Philippine leader is still trying to create animosity with China even after China has successfully reached critical common ground with regional countries such as Brunei and Vietnam over the issue in the past year,” Ming said, noting that, “Territorial disputes are always sensitive issues. No one expects them to be resolved overnight. Thus it is important for political leaders to sound rational and reasonable when they address them.”
Unsolicited advice
The opinion writer said the growing trade relations between the two countries “shows how Chinese neighbors can benefit greatly from expanding trade and investment ties with Beijing.”
His unsolicited advice to Aquino: “Instead of coming up with lame historical comparisons, a professional and mature Philippine leader could do more good to his country by seeking to resolve the territorial disputes with China through dialogue and consultation.”
“After all, the Philippines can enjoy even greater benefits from a peaceful and prosperous China when bilateral relations are anchored by steady hands,” he added.
'Right is might'
On Thursday, a spokesman for Aquino stood by the comments.
"The lesson for all free countries is this: there is a need for all to stand up for what is right," Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
"It should be right is might and not might is right."
China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have territorial claims across a waterway that provides 10 percent of the global fisheries catch and carries $5 trillion in ship-borne trade.
US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Danny Russel said on Wednesday Washington has growing concerns that China's maritime claims in the disputed sea are an effort to gain creeping control of oceans in the Asia-Pacific region.
China reacted angrily last week to a report in a Japanese newspaper that Beijing was considering setting up a new air defense identification zone in the South China Sea, similar to the one it announced last year for the East China Sea.
The United States urged China not to set up such a zone, although China's Foreign Ministry implied it had no need to do so because it did not see a military threat from Southeast Asia.
The Philippines and China have been at loggerheads since the Scarborough standoff that started April 2012.
Veronica Uy, InterAksyon.com (with a report from Reuters)
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