NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 15 April) — The soothing diplomatic pronouncement of PBBM that the four additional sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) are simply to enhance the country’s capacity to respond to natural calamities and humanitarian concerns would not ease the frayed nerves of China.
The Chinese were not born yesterday. They are fully aware that the EDCA was conceived in 2014 to counter their military activities in South China Sea; that it was, pure and simple, the renewal of the US-PH Military Bases Agreement that was scrapped in 1991.
They know that PBBM bowed to US pressure to establish four additional EDCA sites in the light of the growing tension around Taiwan, which is just a stone throw north of the country. No matter what is said, the new sites will house US military arsenal and intelligence system and would be one of the launching pads for offensive operations against China when necessitated.
So it’s not preposterous to say that by this time, short range Chinese missiles are already trained at all EDCA sites. But the northern sites are our primary invitation for trouble.
A conflagration in Taiwan is likely to fly spark to the Philippines; the two new sites in Cagayan and Isabela are supposed to stump out quickly a fire that could develop, which is apparently the persuading logic behind the sites build-up. But stumping fire with fire would create a raging inferno across the archipelago.
China has made it clear to reintegrate Taiwan, it considers its breakaway province, to its domain by word or by force. As shown by its current air and naval exercise close to Taiwanese territory, it is evident that China looks bent in finally implementing that long-suspended plan.
Contrary to common perception, the people of Taiwan are not comprised of all nationalist Chinese (Koumintang) who escaped to the island during the communist takeover of China. Historically, the Taiwanese are a multiracial people of various stocks. The Taiwanese assert they have right of self-determination for possessing a political and cultural character and processes distinct and separate from communist China. As a distinct nation, they believe they have the right to choose and exercise sovereignty.
Any external intervention in the animosity between the two is catastrophic. It’s an eye-to-eye confrontation between two superpowers. One needs to blink to avoid an outbreak of a war to end all wars.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental)
