Has Filipino President Duterte Had a Come-to-Jesus Moment on Red China?

“Whatever Duterte naively thought about China has been demolished by the reality that China is not their friend but a large, powerful, aggressive neighbor bent on being the dominant economic and military power in the Pacific, and will use whatever means necessary, to achieve that goal….

“The Pacific nations will ultimately far prefer the U.S. as an economic partner in the region than China. The US might be a powerful influence but China will simply obliterate them with their massive economy and utter disregard for national borders and self-identity, something they proved with their invasion of the independent nation of Tibet.”

Jerry PDX

 

By Jerry PDX
Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 3:33:00 P.M. EDT

I recall seeing reports a few years back about how Philippine’s President Rodrig Duterte was “courting” China and rebuffing the US.... Things appear to have changed dramatically:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/03/25/philippines-top-diplomat-we-must-have-the-courage-to-demand-u-s-military-attack-china/

Here Duterte sings the praises of China:

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/10/Philippines-China-diplomatic-relations.html

A little later this:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/duterte-gets-tough-on-china-leaning-back-to-old-ally-us/ar-BB19keHs

I even predicted that this would happen. Whatever Duterte naively thought about China has been demolished by the reality that China is not their friend but a large, powerful, aggressive neighbor bent on being the dominant economic and military power in the Pacific, and will use whatever means necessary, to achieve that goal. Whatever criticism of the US they had in the past seems petty, in the face of China’s aggressive moves to expand their territorial borders. That’s not something smaller countries bordering China have to deal with, when they do business with the US.

I’ve always said, and will say it again: The Pacific nations will ultimately far prefer the U.S. as an economic partner in the region than China. The US might be a powerful influence but China will simply obliterate them with their massive economy and utter disregard for national borders and self-identity, something they proved with their invasion of the independent nation of Tibet.

I have my criticisms of Trump, but he was right to challenge China and the economic war it’s waging against us, but too many multinational corporations and billionaires are making money with China, and they couldn’t let Trump cost them anymore. So China appeasing Biden is in, and Trump is out.

What happens now to the smaller neighbors that China is bullying and intimidating? Does the U.S. ignore them to keep the short-term profits flowing from China?

IMHO, dealing with China is possibly the most important issue that’s getting almost zero media coverage. They have huge investments in the U.S., but are still a hostile power and present a much bigger threat than the old Soviet Union ever did. Playing nice with them will accomplish nothing. They will take advantage of every weakness, and work it to their advantage.