POLITICS: Ramos begins cautious parleys

The iceberg in the relationship that was thought to have no future when seen from the perspective of a belligerent China seems to be showing some minute signs of budging and thawing.

But, even the best of glaciers must start shedding their cool, hard, and brittle façade in the face of a determined bid by the forces of nature; it is in this light that the Philippines, who took the first step to question China’s defying and coercive tactics, has also gone ahead and initiated diplomatic initiatives to rectify the fractured relations with the neighbor who was simply not listening to reason till now.

Thus, there is an all-round air of optimism that, after all the tensions and skirmishes in the South China Seas, China might still be able to see reason and come to the negotiating table where virtually the whole world, with some exceptions, is waiting with bated breath and a hope that something might still come out of this initiative of peace.

The world is aware that the former President Fidel Ramos has been appointed to be the first envoy of the current President of the Philippines to break the ice and start the vital process of normalization of relations between the two neighbors which have been having issues in the South China Seas.

China is still smarting from the reversal that it suffered due to the judgment of the International Arbitration Tribunal who has exposed the Chinese intent of wrongdoing and ruled against virtually all the claims of China while awarding some of the disputed features to the Philippines in accordance with the provisions of the UNCLOS.

Former President Fidel Ramos has always been a strong advocate for stronger relations between his country and China and is one of the most respected statesmen who are in the good books of China and are trusted to a large extent.

The decision by Duterte is in accordance with his deep vision and foresight to select the best man for a sensitive job; the most astonishing silence of the Chinese, who had been scoffing and snarling at all pronouncements by anyone on the issues in the South China Sea, was a revelation of of the soundness of Duterte’s decision.

There was no comment from the Chinese when it was announced by the Filipinos; that itself was a very big change from the usual rhetoric that the Chinese government controlled media maintained.

The loud silence had a deafening impact on the observers since it indicated that there was some measure of respect for the former President and his virtues.

 

The people involved in the peace process and those observing it from all over the region and the world are well aware of the ticklish nature of the issues at hand as also the difficulties that will have to be tackled along the way, but the main source of satisfaction stems from the fact that something is underway and, though a clear-cut solution might not be upcoming in the immediate future but then there is likely to result some understanding and appreciation of each other’s concerns which pave the way for some adjustments on either side.

There is hardly anything that the former President is not aware of in this traditional dispute and had been doing his homework with the help of his aides and advisors and had it almost chalked out by the time, the news of his appointment as the special envoy to the President og the Philippines, was announced.

He had been in touch with some trusted colleagues from the other side and had arranged to meet up with them before any further official talks could begin.

Consequently, he visited Hong Kong for a two day meeting with his old friends all meeting in their personal capacities to exchange notes with each other.

The people whom he met there in his personal capacity were

1. Wu Shichun, President of the National Institute For South China Sea Studies, a Chinese organization which is an authority on the affairs concerning the South China Seas, and
2. Fu Ying, who is the Chairman of China’s legislature, the national People’s Congress.

 

There was no reference to the judgment of the International Arbitration Tribunal and the topics discussed were how to increase the mutual cooperation and trust factor between the two close neighbors in areas like fishing, ecological efforts and the common fight against the drug peddlers.

Though, it wasn’t an official engagement between the two countries, the fact that they were important figures who could be instrumental in striking the right chords and play a vital role in the peace overtures.

Even the Chinese Foreign Ministry went to the point of acknowledging the occurrence of the event; Fu Ying is a former Ambassador to Manila. While it is reported that another such unofficial parley might be in the offing.

Whether these meetings will culminate into straightforward talks on the dispute is yet to be seen.

Umrao Singh                                                            umraoz.wordpress.com

Written for:  Lars-Magnus Carlsson                          www.thephilippinepride.com

 

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