Weak nations playing great powers off each other

[adroth]

China's reply to JUSMAG's contributions

Duterte receives P370-M worth of firearms, ammo from China
By: Nestor Corrales - Reporter / @NCorralesINQINQUIRER.net / 08:41 PM June 28, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte checks the scope of a riffle sniper, an ,7.62mm,CS/LR4A, given by China as part of Beijing assistance grant to the Philippines during a turnover ceremony at the hangar of Clark Air Base in Mabalacat Pampanga while Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua looks on . INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

The Philippine government on Wednesday received P370 million worth of arms and ammunition from China.

President Rodrigo Duterte received the donations during a turnover ceremony at Clark Airbase in Pampanga. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jinhua represented the Chinese government.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said arms and ammunition amounted to 50 million yuan or more than P370 million.

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Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/158500/duterte-receives-p370-m-worth-firearms-ammo-china#ixzz4lXTB5oMd
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

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President Rodrigo Duterte checks the scope of a riffle sniper, an ,7.62mm,CS/LR4A, given by China as part of Beijing assistance grant to the Philippines during a turnover ceremony at the hangar of Clark Air Base in Mabalacat Pampanga while Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua looks on . INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

[adroth]

Makes me wonder what China or Russia's reply will be to this

One of the best shots yet. Posted on the forum's FB extension

https://www.facebook.com/groups/rpdefense/permalink/1365456486873528/

[adroth]

Superpower competition isn't just about military hardware

US, China ready to assist Marawi rehab
By Patricia Lourdes Viray (philstar.com) | Updated July 6, 2017 - 4:05pm

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/07/06/1717008/us-china-ready-assist-marawi-rehab

MANILA, Philippines — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has expressed its readiness to provide assistance for the rehabilitation efforts for war-torn Marawi City, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday.

Earlier this week, Ambassador Sung Kim met with President Rodrigo Duterte to express the US government's full support for the Philippine government's operations in Marawi.

"For the rehabilitation, ang sabi ng ambassador ng United States the USAID is ready to help us whatever we need kaya nandyan 'yung... USAID representative sa US Embassy and they are ready to help us in any way they can pero limited 'yun sa kanilang mandate nila what kind of help they can give us," Lorenzana said in a televised press briefing.

Beijing has also offered its assistance for the rehabilitation of Marawi, Lorenzana added.

"Meron nang offer 'yung China na tutulong sa rehabilitation ng Marawi... In fact, the ambassador already has pledged P5 million for the rehabilitation of Marawi," the secretary said.

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[adroth]

"Playing great powers" doesn't just apply to the superpowers. Regional powers have a role to play as well . . . and we've just been sent overtures by a significant regional player with as much case to dislike China as we do. Don't like the "Silk Road"? Then "Act East"

India has a long history of non-alignment with external powers. It's how it managed to buy equipment from the Soviet Union, while still keeping the door open with the West.

Not unlike what Duterte professes to espouse.

But with China challenging Indian sovereignty as well . . .

. . . an opportunity for getting another seat on our table may be afoot.

See below

China vs India: regional rivals



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jj5Axr8fF8

Chinese Army trying to enter India, the Indian Army pushes them right back
Published on Jun 26, 2017

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India to invite heads of 10 Asean nations for Republic Day celebrations
Sachin Parashar | TNN | Updated: Jul 8, 2017, 02.39 PM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-to-invite-heads-of-10-asean-nations-for-republic-day-celebtations/articleshow/59497883.cms?utm_source=toimobile&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=referral

NEW DELHI: In perhaps the most significant exposition of its 'Act East' policy, India will invite the heads of state or government of all 10 Asean nations for the Republic Day parade and celebrations next year. Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and has as members Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Republic Day 2018 will be the first time ever that so many leaders will together be chief guests at the parade which showcases India's military might.

Since it renamed 'Look East' as 'Act East' in 2014, the NDA government has sought a more "dynamic" and "action-oriented" approach in its relations with not just Asean, but also the wider Asia-Pacific, with emphasis on Japan. However, Asean continues to be the central pillar of 'Act East', and the special summit next year in January is expected to further underscore the point.

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[adroth]

PH should treat 'superpower China' like US, Russia, says ex-envoy
Patrick Quintos, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Aug 03 2017 10:01 AM

http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/08/03/17/ph-should-treat-superpower-china-like-us-russia-says-ex-envoy

MANILA - The Philippines should start thinking of ways on how to get the best out of its relationship with China, a former ambassador said Thursday.
Speaking to ANC, former ambassador Jose Apolinario Lozada Jr. said the Philippines should accept that, like the US and Russia, China is a superpower.
"We have to look at how we can get the best we can from China in consideration of its status as a superpower. We have to treat China in the same manner we treat the US, Russia," he said.

This is also the reason, he said, why the Philippines needs to be careful in the wording of the framework of the code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, which is set to be formally endorsed this weekend.

"We have to be very, very careful that the COC is not going to dwell into specific issues because we have to leave that to future meetings," he said.
Hague ruling an 'integral' factor in S.China Sea code: analyst

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[LionFlyer]

Off-topic though related to this.

Singapore has been gripped by this topic recently, where a Chinese-American academic in one of our top policy research institution was accused of working with foreign intelligence agents to influence Singapore's foreign policy by offering "privilege information". The backdrop to this was also a very open spat a while back between two senior figures in foreign policy here (the Dean of LKYSPP, Kishore Mahbubani and Bilahari Kausikan, ambassador-at-large and former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affair) over whether small states should just toe the line to great powers and ride the waves or continue to be resolute but agile / flexible.

Who he was working for is a matter of speculation but most rumors put it as China. It will be interesting to see if would be investigated by the US.

https://www.mha.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/Pages/Cancellation-of-Singapore-Permanent-Residence-Status-Huang-Jing-and-Yang-Xiuping.aspx
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2105475/chinese-professor-and-his-wife-be-expelled-singapore
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/05/world/asia/singapore-huang-jing.html

[adroth]

Off-topic though related to this.

Singapore has been gripped by this topic recently, where a Chinese-American academic in one of our top policy research institution was accused of working with foreign intelligence agents to influence Singapore's foreign policy by offering "privilege information". The backdrop to this was also a very open spat a while back between two senior figures in foreign policy here (the Dean of LKYSPP, Kishore Mahbubani and Bilahari Kausikan, ambassador-at-large and former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affair) over whether small states should just toe the line to great powers and ride the waves or continue to be resolute but agile / flexible.

Who he was working for is a matter of speculation but most rumors put it as China. It will be interesting to see if would be investigated by the US.

https://www.mha.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/Pages/Cancellation-of-Singapore-Permanent-Residence-Status-Huang-Jing-and-Yang-Xiuping.aspx
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2105475/chinese-professor-and-his-wife-be-expelled-singapore
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/05/world/asia/singapore-huang-jing.html

It would've been interesting to hear Lee Kwan Yu's thoughts on the matter given how deftly he straddled great-power relations.

[LionFlyer]

Continue to cultivate deep relationships with both major countries (China, US). The trick lies in making the both of them realize that this uniqueness outweighs trying to swing Singapore one way or the other.

[LionFlyer]

It would've been interesting to hear Lee Kwan Yu's thoughts on the matter given how deftly he straddled great-power relations.

The CIA tried to bribe him in the 60s and they got owned by him. We also expelled one of theirs(US First Secretary to Singapore) in 88 when they tried to mess in local politics.

Sometimes, these big powers need to be reminded how it works in Singapore.

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/05/12/Singapore-chagrinned-at-Washingtons-expulsion-of-diplomat/9073579412800/

[adroth]

At the end of the day . . . Singapore got past the incident, the US-SG relationship matured . . . and Singapore and the US are even stronger partners than before.

In contrast, Filipinos are aghast at there mere suggestion that PH-US relations be looked at in a different light.

[adroth]

Duterte tells US Secretary of State Tillerson: I am your humble friend
Published August 07, 2017 06:10:01 PM
Updated August 07, 2017 06:30:00 PM

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/620967/duterte-tells-us-secretary-of-state-tillerson-i-am-your-humble-friend/story/?amp

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday welcomed US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Malacañang.

“I am your humble friend in Southeast Asia,” Duterte told Tillerson in his opening statement.

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[adroth]

Tension remain

Don't tell us what to do, PH tells countries on sea dispute

'The problem of territorial disputes between China and the Philippines is between China and the Philippines,' says Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano

Paterno Esmaquel II
@paterno_ii
Published 10:20 PM, August 09, 2017
Updated 10:20 PM, August 09, 2017

http://www.rappler.com/nation/178267-philippines-us-japan-australia-statement-south-china-sea-ruling?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nation

SEA ROW. Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano holds a press conference on August 8, 2017, that tackled a range of topics including the Philippines' dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines criticized the United States, Japan, and Australia for releasing a joint statement that urged both Manila and Beijing to heed a 2016 international ruling on the South China Sea.

"We expect nations not to tell us what to do," Cayetano said in a press conference on Tuesday, August 8.

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Cayetano said: "Japan, Australia, and the US are our friends. The US is our treaty ally. But we have told all countries around the world: We are a sovereign nation. We will decide what is good for us, what strategy is good for us, because we are a sovereign nation."

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[adroth]

Non-acceptance of the The President's plan does NOT change the FACT that it both exists, and it WORKS. Note that we've been saying this since last year.

From:

[adroth]

The United Kingdom gets with the program

'With humility': UK offers help in solving PH drug problem
Trishia Billones, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Oct 09 2017 04:18 PM

http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/10/09/17/with-humility-uk-offers-help-in-solving-ph-drug-problem

MANILA - The United Kingdom has offered to help Philippines in its quest to quell illegal drugs, its envoy to Manila said Monday, even as it earlier expressed serious concern over alleged extra-judicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign.

"If there are any elements of the British experience in dealing with drugs would be relevant and essentially of use to the authorities in the Philippines, we stand ready to share that experience, but we do so with humility," Ambassador Daniel Pruce told ANC's Headstart.

Pruce said UK also has its own drug challenges but a great part of their approach had been to give the drug addicts "support and opportunity to overcome that addiction and rehabilitate themselves into society."

Part of their effort, he said, involved "using the legal framework and prosecuting people who are breaking the law in accordance with the law " and trying to "address some of the problems that drive people to taking drugs."

"There’s no single solution that works in every country. Every country’s situation is different, but particularly in the area of this comprehensive approach, a blended series of intervention, and also we have a great focus on rehabilitation. There’s something in our experience that would be helpful here in the Philippines, we stand ready to offer that support," he said.

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[adroth]

In The South China Sea, Duterte's Playing China Against America And Japan -- Nicely
Panos Mourdoukoutas , CONTRIBUTOR
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2017/11/03/in-the-south-china-sea-dutertes-playing-china-against-america-and-japan-nicely/#7f51f512fa2e

Philippines is at the center of the game for control of the South China Sea, a vast waterway with many riches beneath. And Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is playing this game well, with flip-flops that have major players like China, Japan, and America guessing which side he is on.

Meanwhile, each of the three players are racing to provide Duterte with all the “goodies” he needs.

America with military support against a local rebel insurgency. Japan with investments, and China with both investments and diplomatic support -- at the place he needs it the most, the UN.

While, Duterte has been very active on foreign policy, he has left domestic economic policy to the country’s central bank, which has engineered a stable macroeconomic environment of low inflation and low debt to GDP ratio.


The biggest beneficiary of Duterte's “hands on” foreign policy and “hand off” domestic policy, so far, has been the Philippines economy, which is the world’s 10th fastest growing economy in the world in 2017.

That’s according to the World Bank’s latest edition of Global Economic Prospects. For 2017, the Philippines economy is expected to advance between 6.5 to 7.5%. That’s almost twice the country’s long-term growth of 3.68%.

And that’s good news for the country’s financial markets, which have underperformed the markets of the region.

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