China, Benham Rise (Philippines) and the World

CHINA, BENHAM RISE (PHILIPPINES) AND THE WORLD

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Changing the name of the Benham Rise to a Filipino- sounding one will not give the Philippines an assured full control. What the Philippine government should do is show a tangible claim through the consistently regular patrol by the Navy and Coast Guard. But the best way is by building a permanent structure which could by possible by forging a tie up with an interested private entity for exploratory venture at this very early time.

 

Nothing can stop China from staking a claim in the guise of putting a mutually beneficial structure at her expense. The Chinese did this at Spratleys. The almost three months of “survey” that it conducted (if it was true), could just be their initial move after finding out the enormous wealth that lies beneath the furious waves of Benham.

 

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT CHINA IS EXERTING TOO MUCH AND OBVIOUS EFFORT IN ESTABLISHING A MODERN EMPIRE THAT WOULD STRETCH FROM AFRICA TO ASIA. WHILE, HISTORICALLY, THE EMPERORS OF CHINA WERE JUST INTERESTED IN CONDUCTING TRADE, THE CURRENT LEADERS ARE THINKING OTHERWISE – POLITICAL CLOUT OVER ALL NATIONS, INCLUDING THE TRADITIONAL POWERFUL AMERICAN AND EUROPE NATIONS.

 

CHINA IS OBVIOULSY ENTERTAININNG THE IDEA OF CONSOLIDATING ALL NATIONS OF THE WORLD…AND IT COULD BE POSSSIBLE. PRACTICALLY, ALL POWERFUL NATIONS ARE HEAVILY INDEBTED TO CHINA. EQUIPMENT, GADGETS, FOOD PRODUCTS AND EVEN BASIC COMMODITIES SUCH AS COTTON BUDS AND TOOTHPICK ARE TAGGED WITH “MADE IN CHINA”.

 

What the world should do for practical reason is learn at least the two common dialects of China, especially, Mandarin. The world is undeniably moving towards Sinozation! The only problem with the bright guys of China is their tenacity to come up with fake products, including rice!

 

 

The Philippines’ Early Commercial Intercourse with China

The Philippines’ Early Commercial Intercourse with China

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

The early recorded commercial intercourse between the Philippines and China was dated 982 A.D. when a certain Sung-Shih (History of the Sung) mentioned about traders from Mo-yi or May-I, referring to the Philippines and sometimes the island of Mindoro, and who came to the southern coast of China. But even much earlier than the said date, according to a noted historian Berthold Laufer in his “Relations of Chinese to the Philippines”, and Austin Craig in his “A Thousand Years of Philippine History Before the Coming of the Spaniards”, among the goods from the Philippines were birds, pearls and tortoise shell, to which, another historian, Chao Ju-Kua added, yellow wax, cotton, medicinal betel nuts and “yu-la” cloth. Proof of the early trade relations between the two countries are the archaeological sites that date back to the T’ang dynasty, in Babuyan islands, coastal areas of Ilocos and Pangasinan, Manila, Bohol, Mindoro, Cebu, Jolo and Cagayan de Sulu, and Mindanao.

 

Accordingly, Chinese junks would leave the southern coast of China for the Philippines during the month of March and their travel would take about 15 to 20 days. The same junks would prepare for the return trip during the month of June. Trading was done with haste, usually three to four days at one convergence point along a safe coast, then, they would move to other traditionally appointed place, as some natives proved to be hostile.

 

The commercial intercourse brought about cultural enhancement on both trading parties. On the part of the Philippines, according to Filipino anthropologist, E. Arsenio Manuel, about 522 words in the vocabulary of Pilipino language are of Chinese origin. Among them are, bihon, miki, miswa, mami, kuchay, tokwa, kinchay,  lumpia, lome, kimto, goto, batsoy, tsa, liyempo, kamto, biko, bitsu, hopia, petsay/pechay, bakya, jusi, siyansi, ate, kuya, diko, ditse, sangko, siko, and siyaho.

 

As mentioned among the pages of “Ming History”, traders from Fukien of southern China flocked to Luzon to establish trading colonies, so that when the Spaniards came, they found well-entrenched Chinese communities along the Pasig River and the coastal areas of Pangasinan and Ilocos. While the Philippines was under the administration the Spaniards, there was a time when the Chinese were expelled. Upon realizing, however, the need for the business acumen of the Chinese, they were encouraged by the colonizers to return but made to dwell in settlements outside the Walled City or Intramuros, which was called “Parian”. That is how the Manila Chinatown, the oldest in the whole world came to be.

 

Historically, the Chinese were never interested in politically colonizing any of the islands of the archipelago, unlike the Spaniards who came to the Philippines purely for this purpose. It is for this reason that when the Hispanic administration of Manila took effect, there was no resistance from the Chinese community. If the dynasties of the mainland that saw the growth of trading with the archipelago had any intension of annexing it to their kingdom, they should have done it long before the Spaniards came. But Chinese traders came and went, instead of even a single Chinese soldier. It is for this reason that China can never site history to attest her rights over a major part of the South China Sea or Philippine Sea. Their trading ancestors could have named some islands and bodies of water in and around the archipelago but only for their convenient reference and nothing else.

 

 

 

The Various “Relationships”, Duterte, and the Philippines

THE VARIOUS “RELATIONSHIPS”, DUTERTE, AND THE PHILIPPINES

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

There are various kinds of relationship. One of these is based on simple friendship devoid of malice. Another is that which, though, started with the simple friendship, has developed into one with carnal desire for each other. There is also a relationship that started with flings for sexual release by those who are innately maniacal in their desire, but which could unfortunately affect others, just like what a woman, supposedly of respectable repute did, and whose nymphomanic desire resulted to scandalous and uncontrolled spread of illegal drugs.

 

As regards the relationship among nations, given foremost consideration is their kind of ideology that could be founded on the liberal Democracy or oppressive Communism. Another consideration is the people’s Faith, which could either be rooted in Christianity or Islam.

 

The Philippines has a varicolored and rich culture for having been tainted with those of other nations in the past that made the blood of other races flow through the veins of the Filipinos. In view, however, of the considerably long domination of Spain and America over the Philippines, their respective influence has left a deep impression on the image of the country, as viewed by the rest of the world. In this regard, a book on the spoken international language of different nations, listed the Philippines in the 1950’s as Spanish-speaking nation. When the Americans took over as colonizers, the Iberian language was supplanted with English which even attempted to dominate Tagalog, as it was forced on students while inside the school campus.

 

In view of the considerable length of domination by Spain, Catholicism was predominantly observed in the Philippines. When the Americans took over, many were converted into the different Protestant sects. As regards the government, the Philippines’s Constitution has been almost totally copied from that of America, except the form of governance. With that, America practically developed in the Philippines a seemingly total dependence toward her. This is how the nauseating referral to the Filipinos as “helpless little brown brothers” of the white Americans developed, with the latter viewing the former as helpless people who needed to be prevailed upon, reprimanded at all times, and if need be, disciplined with the rod…practically, held by the hand for proper guidance.

 

Further to the aforementioned long oppression of the Philippines, what has been culled in the mind of the Filipinos is the consciousness that no other religion is better than Catholicism, and no other government is better than what is copied from America. Ironically, the Philippines is lagging behind some of her Southeast Asian neighbors, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam , especially, on rice production despite the fact that their rice scientists and technologists developed their knowledge at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) which is in the Philippines! These nations admirably and successfully made leaps and bounds despite their having remained untainted by their colonizers, Great Britain and France. It should be noted, too, that these nations are not Christian, and one has even become a Communist!

 

Hecklers of Duterte call him “idiot”, blabber-mouthed, tactless, and many more, just because he wants to free the Philippines from the image of being shackled by America. His avowed advocacy to give the Philippines a new image in the eyes of the world, one that shows her standing on her two feet and free from the influence of any other nation has made Duterte the subject of contempt from all sides. But the big question now is: who among the past presidents has ever showed pro-Filipino or sincere nationalism that he is manifesting? Filipinos thought that Marcos was the right guy with his “New Society”, but he, unfortunately, got derailed when he became a dictator.

 

The vision of Duterte’s detractors seemed to be just limited to the American-owned Call Centers or BPO’s as they express their apprehension of virtual “famine” in the country if these would eventually pack up because of his anti-American pronouncements. On the contrary, how can these American investors leave the country where they are reaping financial returns beyond their expectation? Their relationship with the Filipinos who work for them, and who show sincerity in their job can be viewed as one which is symbiotic or an unwritten “give and take” system. What the detractors failed to notice still, is that, although, many American firms have already left the country in quest for cheaper labor in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, their exodus did not affect the economy of the Philippines, or to the very least…felt, as the Filipinos are known for their pliant flexibility and endurance.

 

Ang “Isla” sa West Philippine Sea

ANG “ISLA” SA WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Sa isyu ng West Philippine Sea, ang tanging layunin ng Pilipinas kaya dumulog ito sa UN Arbitral Tribunal ay upang matukoy ang tunay na hangganang karagatan ng bansa. Nagkataon lang na mayroong bahura o reef sa lugar na yon kaya atat na atat ang China na sakupin ito. Upang malubos ang kanilang layunin, ang bahura na hindi angkop na tirhan ng tao ay tinambakan ng mga dinurog na korales mula sa paligid kaya tuluyang tumaas at naging “isla”. Ngayon ay may mga pasilidad na pang-military… mga gamit pandigma, kasama na ang mahabang paliparan.

 

Seryoso ang usapin. Noon pa binanggit kong dahil sa pagpupursige ng China na makamkam ang bahaging ito ng karagatan ay siguradong hindi ito papayag na basta-basta na lang patatalo lalo na sa pipitsuging bansa tulad ng Pilipinas. Sa kamalasan naman ng China, dahil sa desisyon ang UN tribunal tungkol sa naaangkop na pagturing sa karagatang yon hindi lang Pilipinas kundi buong mundo ang kalaban niya ngayon. Solohin ba naman ang karagatang yon na ang turing ng buong mundo ay “maritime highway”. Para siyang nagbakod ng isang right of way kaya walang madaan ang mga taong naapektuhan at nakulong!

 

Para walang gulo, pabor ang Pilipinas sa pakikipag-usap ng maayos upang kahit papaano ay umabot sa “sharing agreement”. Sa ganitong punto, wala nang pinakamagandang paraan kundi gawin itong” open trading post” ng China at Pilipinas. Hindi puwedeng mag-refund ang Pilipinas kahit sa maliit na bahagi ng ginastos ng China dahil noon pa man ay sinabihan na silang itigil ang ginagawa nilang reclamation. Kung magkaroon ng oil exploration dapat ay “sharing” din ang usapan.

 

Sa isang televised interview kay Duterte, sabi niya gusto niyang ipadala si dating presidenteng Ramos sa China upang masimulan ang pakikipag-usap sa kinauukulan. Marami ang nagtaas ng kilay dahil noong kapanahunan yata niya nang magkaroon ng bentahan ng military base na ngayon ay naging tinatawag na “Global City”, ang sabi ay gagamitin daw sa military modernization ang mapagbentahan. Marami ang nagtatanong kung anong nangyari sa pangako dahil hanggang ngayon ay “antique” pa rin ang mga gamit ng military.

 

Nitong bandang huli nga, dahil sa isyu ng West Philipppine Sea, ay tila naalimpungatan ang gobyerno dahil nakita ang kawalan pala ng maaayos na barko ang Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard. Kailangan pa naman ang mga ito dahil ang bansa ay maraming isla kaya napakahaba ng coastline nito. Hindi nga maeskortan ang mga gustong mangisda sa West Philippine Sea at hindi nga mapatrulyahan ang karagatang dinadadaan ng Abu Sayyaf tuwing maghakot sila ng kidnap victims mula sa karating bansa upang dalhin sa Sulu, Basilan, at Tawi-tawi. Paano na daw kung si Ramos ang makikipag-usap sa China tungkol sa isang maayos kuno na “sharing agreement”?

 

Sa ambush interview kay Ramos pagkatapos ng miting, sinabi yata niyang hindi siya interesado…..mabuti naman. Mabuti pa siguro ipadala si Lucio Tan at Henry Sy at siguradong hindi sila patatalo sa usapin kung paano pagkitaan ng Pilipinas ang artipisyal na isla dahil siguradong patatayuan ito ng airport ng PAL at Air Philippines at napakalaking Shoemart mall ….isama na rin pala ang PAGCOR para ang hindi ma-accommodate na mga casino sa Manila ay doon na lang itayo. Kung kulang pa ang artipisyal na isla, gumawa ng mga submerged casino – first in the whole world yan!

The Heavy Pollution in China should Warn Third-World Countries

The Heavy Pollution in China

Should Warn Third -World Countries

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Manufacturing countries that clandestinely hate China have successfully inflicted a “slow death” on the awakened dragon of Asia. They have simply transferred the production aspect of their business in China because of her cheap labor and with it, the byproduct of high technology – the deadly pollution! They have been awfully successful, no question about that!

 

China today, is practically crawling due to the effect of heavy pollution while countries that own brands manufactured in China are basking under smog-free atmosphere. Every day, internet news carries warnings of the Chinese government to its citizens about the heavy pollution and photos are those of the Chinese citizens with face or surgical mask to lessen their inhalation of the dirty air. An enterprising European country is reportedly exporting fresh bottled air to China.

 

The phenomenon in China should serve as a warning to the third-world countries that are blinded by the prospect of living in comfort through high technology. China has practically flooded the world with products made in her homeland. Despite such show of opulence, she is far from being satisfied as her expansionistic desire is slowly creeping towards the rest of Asia and the African continent- with all their third world countries.

 

The governments of these countries would like their forests be uprooted and replaced with factories; would like their fields planted to rice, corn and other staple foods bulldozed to give way to resorts and first-class housing projects; would like their mountains to be drilled for minerals; would like their citizens to be introduced into the mean habits of squalid urban life; would like their centuries-old traditions and faith to be polluted with the immoralities of progress.

 

As the exploitation lasts only for as long as there are yet to be exploited, their “benefits” are likewise short-lived. When the factories and mining companies stop their exhaustive operations, they leave behind ghost towns and villages- with their rivers poisoned by chemicals and the once-fertile land exhausted of their nutrients making them not suitable even for the lowly grass. Their polluted culture gives rise to a new generation of prostitutes and indolent, and worst, with a twisted view on faith.

 

The high-technology must be one of the checks that God has imposed on earth to maintain the balance, aside from natural calamities such as typhoon, earthquake, diseases, and floods, as well as, man-made war. Without them, the world would have burst long time ago, due to overpopulation and inadequate sustenance. But, while these are divine penalties, caution should have been observed by man to at least delay and minimize their occurrence. Unfortunately, man is now reaping the fruits of his greed…at high speed!

 

In the Old Testament, when the God of Israelites wanted them punished for their misdeed, He used the heathen races or tribes to sow disaster upon them. Sometimes He used calamities such as diseases and famine-causing pestilence. The religions of the world are based either directly or indirectly on the Abrahamaic faith, except for some pockets of tribes in unexplored nooks of forests and islands. In a way, most peoples of the world are connected to the God of Israel. Are we now suffering from this divine penalty, mentioned in the Old Testament?

Who Takes the Blame for the Emboldened ISIS and Uncontrolled Chinese Expansion towards the West Phil. Sea?

Who Takes the Blame for the Emboldened ISIS

and Uncontrolled Chinese Expansion towards the West Phil. Sea?

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

When ISIS broke away from Al Q’aida, no nation ever got worried, thinking perhaps, that it is just another struggling terrorist group trying to get noticed by the world, every time it claimed responsibility for certain bombings. Not even the African nations that are located, a stone’s throw away from the lair of this fledgling terror group. Not even when the fledgling group started to conduct kidnapping of foreign correspondents. But when beheadings that they made were posted on facebook and began to invade surrounding villages, the directly-affected nations began to take notice. When cities after cities, and provinces after provinces were overran and European recruits began to trek to the ISIS camps, more nations became apprehensive. When historic and biblical shrines were flattened to the ground the group, and finally, indiscriminate bombings in Paris were made, the whole world took notice….but, too late.

 

ISIS terrorists practically walked their way into unsuspecting European nations with the so-called evacuees who escaped unrests in their countries. No high-tech device can ever set a low-profile terrorist or a freshly-trained terrorist with no international record yet, apart from an ordinary displaced businessman say, from Turkey, Syria, or wherever within the beleaguered region. All of them practically look alike with their piercing eyes, beards, high aquiline nose, etc.

 

Pinching attacks were made by an affected nation or two, and there was even a time when the cry for help of Syria was not heeded. But since the attacks were nothing but just pinches, it was not felt by ISIS that has successfully controlled vital cities of Syria. When the uncontrolled mass emigration of Syrians, both civilian and covert terrorists began to cross borders, the whole world got worried, because even the far Southeast Asian nations were asked by the United Nations to accommodate them.

 

The United Nations made noise when it realized that ISIS is serious in its threats in eroding the global peace. The condemnation of some Islamic nations that do not recognize ISIS as a legitimate jihadist group cannot repair the damage that has been it. Where’s the United Nations organization while all these transpired?

 

On the West Philippine Sea meanwhile, when only a single atoll was “developed” by China by constructing a military stronghold on its scant topsoil, the Philippines did not mind as it has her own Kalayaan island with huts and a motley number of settlers, as well as, a dirt-topped runway. The presence of Chinese patrol boats did not alarm the Filipino fishermen as the latter were reportedly, swapping foods with the crew. That was about ten or more years ago.

 

When the Chinese navy crew-Filipino fishermen relationship began to get sour, reports were considered petty so they were not given much attention. Even until the time that the Chinese Navy started acting harshly by driving Filipino fishermen away from Ayungin Shoal, the Philippine government was still not alarmed. Only when bigger Chinese Navy boats began arriving and discreetly reclaimed the Ayungin shoal, did the Philippine government file a protest in the international tribunal of the United Nations, in charge with the law of the sea. America did not lift a finger, because, accordingly, she is on the other side of the world, far from the disputed body of water. It instead, concentrated on the joint-military exercises with the Filipino military. Or, could it be that it was the time when she was in the process of obtaining loans from China?

 

Of late, however, America seems to be “noisy” as regard the West Philippine issue. Is she really serious, or just displaying a nauseating travesty? Several months back then, while Filipino fishermen were being drenched by the Chinese Navy with water cannons, the president of America is having a grand time meeting with his Chinese counterpart.

 

In the meantime, what has the United Nations done, since the very start of the controversy? Nothing! It waited until the issue has grown enormously out of proportion in view of the high-tech military facilities that the Chinese have installed on the artificial island that they have boldly built out of an insignificant atoll. Worst, the double-talking Chinese are heaping blames on the Philippines for the transformation of simple bickering on boundary, into an inveterate magnitude today.

 

The big question now is on the relevance of the United Nations in the face of all the fiascos from Africa to Asia, not to mention, the somewhat contained turmoil in Europe. How can it be called an arbitrational organization of nations when it cannot even prevent tensions among member- nations, much more, control violent eruption of pockets of unrests around the world? Is the United Nations chartered for the expedient and systematic exploitation of the poor member-nations by the powerful ones?

China Did it Again…Passing the Blame to the Philippines and Playing the Downtrodden on the Issue of the West Phil. Sea

China Did it Again…Passing the Blame to the Philippines

and Playing the Downtrodden on the Issue of West Phil. Sea

By Apolinario Villalobos

Here is another disturbing dispatch from Reuter on the latest declaration of China as regards the disputed West Philippine Sea:

“BEIJING/MANILA (Reuters) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Philippines’ case against China at an arbitration tribunal over rival claims in the South China Sea had strained relations and that it was up to the Philippines to heal the rift.”( By Sui-Lee Wee and Manuel Mogato)

China is not stopping from presenting an image that oozes with weakness, humility and innocence to illicit sympathy from fence-sitting nations as regards the West Philippine Sea where she has built artificial islands that anytime from now shall be inhabited by thousands of her military personnel, as well as, equipped with military facilities. This is despite her insistence that the reclaimed islands shall be utilized for researches and emergency rescues, although, her covert objective, is first and foremost, expansion of her territory. She is perceived with disdain as a double-talker. Proof to this was when she declared that reclamation in the West Philippine Sea was stopped, but weeks later, the world was gaping at the wonder of the transformation of an atoll into a “high-tech island”, complete with military facilities and runway.

The issue on the West Philippine Sea shall put to test the guts of the United Nation’s International Tribunal charged with the Law of the Sea. Will it go on with the investigations and trials despite the vehement refusal of China to participate as she does not recognize the tribunal’s authority? What will the other co-members of China in the UN Security Council do? Will they join hands and gang-up on her? Will the United Nations order the dismantling of the facilities on the disputed natural and man-made islands, once the tribunal decides in favor of the Philippines?

Practically, the economy of the whole world is in the tight grip of China, as even powerful nations are indebted to her. The Chinese President was recently a guest of Honor in London and accorded very special treatment which their high officials unabashedly admitted to be equated with “economic assistance”. China has also, spearheaded the opening of a bank that competes with the World Bank in offering loans to distressed countries.

The peoples around the globe practically depend on China – from their toothpick, gadgets, food products, equipment, and machineries. Due to the cheap Chinese labor, companies from all over the world, transferred the manufacturing of their goods in China, although, marketing of the products are done in their home countries  In this view, it would seem that once the machines of factories in China will stop, the whole world shall come to a complete stop, too. When the Chinese money declined in value, other moneys in the world followed suit. So, what other manifestations do we need to show that the Chinese, have by their wily manipulation, able to control the world, and that the leaders of the nations that are supposed to be defenders of democracy, are just playing charades to avoid losing face?

Meanwhile, in the “game of the West Philippine Sea”, the pawn is the Philippines…if China will get what she wants, it would be goodbye to the rest of the claims by other SEA nations!

The Entry of Great Britain in the “China Scene” Shows that Everything is Alright with the Dragon Power

The Entry of Great Britain in the “China Scene”

Shows that Everything is Alright with the Dragon Power

By Apolinario Villalobos

President Xi of China was accorded a very warm reception recently when he visited London. The Prime Minister of the host country admitted that such warmth was equivalent to investments that could be equated to thousands of job.

The Security Council of the United Nations is permanently occupied by the world’s four powers – the United States, Russia, Great Britain, China and France. Of the four, only France has not yet shown an obvious affinity to China. However, with what happened in London, will the nation of great chefs, follow suit, by coming up with an alibi to invite China to their romantic country and entice the touted richest country today, to invest, too? But the biggest question is: what will happen to the United Nations, now that the “check and balance” is lost?

Clearly, the lesser nations shall be at the mercy of the four nations’ charades. It will not be long when the four will finally talk among themselves on how to fairly divide the sickly sphere among them. The United States and China have been patting each other’s back indiscreetly, as while the former has been releasing “threats” of incursion in the latter’s artificial boundaries in the West Philippine Sea… China likewise releases “threats” of appropriate actions as needed – all press release. But in the eyes of those in the know, such are just charades. China’s relation with Russia has no problem at all, as there is a silent understanding about the difference in their respective interest – that of Russia in Europe and that of China in Southeast Asia and even the whole of Asia and the Pacific area, thus, her claim of the West Philippine Sea.

Initially, when China released a statement about her reclamation of islets in the West Philippine Sea, only the United States was specially mentioned that can use the facilities to be installed. Later, general statements were made about the use of facilities for maritime rescue, but still no mention about the claimant countries’ involvement. Very obvious is the ultimate objective of China for a one sided compromise, in her favor, of course. China will definitely not allow the dismantling of her installed facilities if the United Nations will decide on the illegality of reclamations. And, in this case, China has found a new and almost equally powerful supporter – Great Britain, a fellow member of the UN Security Council.

Great Britain has been known for condoning piratical activities of her adventurous seafaring people, notorious among them was Drake. Although, the piratical activity was draped with political intents on the issue of maritime boundaries in conflict with Spain, still the selfish and illegally notorious motive was there – piracy.  In her effort to rid her main territory of criminals, she dumped convicts in the far away island of Australia, to make sure that criminals would not be able to swim their way back home. Finally, her colonial effort resulted to the peopling of the New World – America, that later became the “cradle” of world democracy. By the way, Great Britain supports Malaysia against the Philippines on the issue of Sabah.

Today, the wisdom of China seems to have tamed the world powers. The dragon is, indeed, wise when it has awaken again after thousands of years of slumber.

Early Trade Relations of the Philippines with China

Early Trade Relations of the Philippines with China

By Apolinario Villalobos

While Spain was resolute in her desire to colonize islands with the use of the cross, China was more reclusive, as her rulers were even discouraging the voyages of their people. Nevertheless, the Chinese traders were stubborn in carrying out their occupation to the point of risking their lives in crossing oceans. According to archaeological findings, the natives of the Philippine archipelago had their first contact with the Chinese traders during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907), based on the discovered pot shards which are now at the National Museum.

The hectic trading activity was recorded during the 13^th century. Chinese traders coveted the Filipino products such as, corals, gold, cotton, hard wood, edible nuts, gums, resins, rattan, pearls, and many others. In the course of their trading, the Chinese traders intermarried with native women, while establishing commercial centers, a wise move which checked the entry of other trading nationalities. The first mention of the trading activity in the Philippines by the Chinese was in 982, when merchandise from Ma-I (Mindoro), where brought to Canton.

A clear account of how the trading was conducted was mentioned by Chao-Ju-Kua in 1225, in which he said that as soon as the ships of the Chinese traders dropped anchor where the local official was located, they were boarded for checking, after which the natives were already free to ply their trade with the foreign merchants. A converging place was assigned for this commercial activity.

Trading Chinese vessels were also said to have sailed to “Sanhsi” (three islands), which could have been the reference for central Visayas,  also to “Pu-li-lu” (Polilio), and “Tung-Liu-sin” which could be eastern Luzon.

According to the Ming Annals, embassies from Luzon visited China in 1372 and 1408, and brought with them gifts for the emperor, such as small but strong horses. In return, the emperor gave them silk, copper, cash and other valuable things. There is also an account about Chinese traders bringing gifts to the “King of Luzon”.

Natives of Pangasinan had their share of trading with the Chinese as early as 1406 during the Ming Dynasty. Pangasinan was mentioned in the book of Kiyoshi, published by Toyo Gakubo, where it was referred to by the Chinese traders as “Ping-chia-shih-lan”.

When the Spaniards arrived, they found a Chinese settlement of traders along the Pasig River. This settlement was known then, as “Parian”, and later evolved into what is now known as the Manila Chinatown, the oldest in the world. Among the locals, though, it is more popularly called “Ongpin”.

China: from reclusive to cunningly dominant and aggressive

China: from reclusive to cunningly dominant and aggressive

By Apolinario Villalobos

When the Philippines rejected the move for the extension of the U.S. military base in the Philippines, China saw its chance to stealthily proceed with her claim of a vast area of the West Philippine Sea. The Big American Brother, grossly hated by militant Filipinos has been booted out of the Philippine soil, making the country, practically vulnerable in the face of threats from inside and out.

Still losing no hope, the Americans thought of using the yearly joint military exercises between the Philippines and their “visiting” US military forces, a move which, however, did not deter China from pursuing her massive reclamation projects in the disputed West Philippine Sea. In no time, the world has witnessed the “birth” of an island, complete with an airstrip and high-tech military structures, although, what China kept on insisting was that they were for marine research and rescue purposes. She even had the temerity of accusing, instead, the Philippines, as the one building structures on Kalayaan Island, where can be found a “village” of huts and unpaved short airstrip, and as for the “military structure”, it is actually, a hardly- floating, corroded and barnacle-covered ship.

Lately, the Americans discovered the presence of a Chinese naval ship in the waters of Alaska. All that the Americans did was throw a question into the air, as to what such ship was doing in their territory. They never ever thought that China might have been conducting surveys on how to tow into place a floating island that she is very much capable of building, and which no country can dispute, for as long as it is outside their territory. A floating island may just be huge barges with the area of several football fields overlaid with soil and planted to grass and shrubs. The Chinese have been successful in building an island in the disputed West Philippine Sea, and they proved that no nation has been courageous enough to stop them, not even the United Nations.  So, why not build more in other oceans? Such is how China conceives what a modern-day expansionism should be!

Building an island is no different from reclaiming fringing coastal areas that would eventually extend the territory of a country. Many countries are doing this. Coastal reclamation is a discreet extension that a nation can do to expand its territory. Expansion may accommodate an airport or provide more area for an existing wharf or conglomerate of business districts. Practically, many countries are doing this, which would eventually change maritime maps, and the face of the earth.

Manila reclaimed a big portion of the Manila Bay which is now being developed into a “Dream City”.  But before that, and during the time of Marcos, a big portion of the bay has been reclaimed to accommodate the whims of Imelda – the Hotel Sofitel (formerly, Philippine Plaza Hotel), Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International Convention Center, Film Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines and many other structures to support the country’s tourism industry. But China has gone further when she has embarked into a bold maritime colonization, as she squint her eyes to survey the vast bodies of oceans for her taking!

On economy, China has flooded the world with her cheap products churned out by factories that are alive with cheap labor. This phenomenon has practically devastated the local production of third world countries which could not stand against the almost give-away prices of China products. She has also been lenient in granting loans to allied countries which eventually, she now has a fatal economic stranglehold. She even spearheaded the founding of a bank akin to the UN-supported international banks that extend loans to member countries. Include here the standing loans that tied even powerful countries to this once reclusive country behind the Bamboo Curtain.  The wise moves of China virtually made her in control of the whole world!

Today, China is feigning a downhill trend of her economy, which of course, pulled down along, countries that have become dependent on her. This phenomenon includes the Philippines that now suffer from the weakening of her peso.

China is not a fool to reveal “how much” she is really worth. No nation ever knows the volume of her gold bullions and total reserves. What China may be showing the world, and which she can afford to devalue could be just an insignificant portion of her wealth, which may still be comparably even better than any powerful nation. China knows that the longer she maintains the downhill economic trend, the more harm that it can do to the world, and the better for her to tighten her stranglehold.

Meanwhile, China knows that not even the United Nations can force her to dismantle what had been constructed in the Spratleys. If the UN or the United States, for that matter, with her “Manifest Destiny”, had been contemplating on this decision for the sake of the rest of nations that use the disputed maritime highway, they should have demanded for the stoppage of reclamations long time ago, as they were not discreetly carried on, anyway. The goings on were not kept from the world’s scrutiny. The progress has been monitored via the internet, and which even elicited blogs of anticipation and wonderment from different parts of the world. To save face, the United States has been maintaining a stance, as if ready to strike, but for those in the know, it is more like of a shadow boxing, than one that can land a painful punch.

China cunningly employed a little sacrifice in the beginning, when she offered cheap labor to ensnare the world manufacturers into her fold, then she made the world economically dependent on her by being lax on her loans and flooding the world with cheap basic commodities, peddled influence to break the cohesiveness of Southeast Asian nations that now cannot stand as one against her on the crucial issue of the West Philippine Sea which she is considering as launching ground for her other ventures in other parts of the world. And, finally,

manipulated the world economic trend by devaluing her currency.

So what else can China do? Perhaps, show more vintage world maps of islands with Chinese names! China might even show a map of California with Chinese name!