China-Philippines collaboration represents a new model

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Editor's note: Zheng Zhu is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Law with China University of Political Science and Law. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

After the joint news conference, both Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to elevate the ties between China and the Philippines into a comprehensive strategic cooperation.

This vision, as President Xi pointed out, charts a clear course of China-Philippines relations, and it proclaims that the two countries are partners seeking common development in the future.

Perhaps more important are the vision's diplomatic implications. The bilateral relations and the collaboration thereof, which President Duterte described as “the full blossom of the flower,” send a clear message to the world: there could be a new type of diplomatic collaboration, which excludes zero-sum cold war mentality and encompasses ingredients such as equality, peace, inclusive growth, and common prosperity.

First of all, equality is the defining characteristic of these relations. The ties forged between China as a gigantic continent state and the Philippines as a smaller island country feature the Chinese diplomatic thinking: the international community should build a partnership in which countries treat each other as equals, engage in mutual consultations and show mutual understanding.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte listens to an address during the ASEAN-China summit on the sidelines of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Singapore, November 14, 2018. /VCG Photo

Admittedly, international affairs often give an impression of being a vehicle equipped with wheels of different sizes. The bigger ones somehow tend to steer the vehicle more in one direction than the other, and as a result, big countries receive more attention, whereas small countries are therefore attached less weight.

Ironically, as some Western commentators observed: even if all nations are created equal, some are more equal than others.

Nevertheless, small powers today have increased in numbers, as has their impact on the regional stability and even the overall international order. More pertinently, in the Asia-Pacific region, which comprises mostly small countries, China will have to deal with them in a more respectful and equal-footed way.

Secondly, Beijing-Manila relations are built with an aim to safeguard regional peace. As much as the regional safety is concerned, the four decades have witnessed an ebb and flow in China-Philippines relations. Only in 2012, the Huangyan Dao standoff soured the relations greatly.

Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino (R) greets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) after his courtesy call at the presidential palace in Manila, November 10, 2015. /VCG Photo

However, with the statements, such as the October 2016 Joint Statement of China and the Philippines on Joint Exploration Undersea, and the November 2017 Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation signed, peaceful solutions were found, and the bilateral ties were normalized in the interests of both countries.

From this perspective, it can be argued that the development of Beijing-Manila relations explains and exemplifies how the two countries should properly manage their conflicts.

Speaking of the economic ties, the improvement of the bilateral relations has been conducive to both countries. For the Philippines, since the diplomatic ties have been remedied, massive Chinese capital has poured in – as some statistics show, Chinese investments in the fields of culture, technology, judiciary and tourism have yielded positive outcomes.

If the economic ties are strengthened, and brought “one notch higher,” Philippine trade and commerce development would prosper in the years to come.

On China's side, the Philippines' exports have brought in a large number of tropical fruits, and a number of cooperative construction projects are being carried out in China.

A fruit vendor waits for customers at a fruit market in Manila, August 9, 2018. /VCG Photo

According to some reports, after lifting bans on banana and pineapple exports from the Philippines, China is even considering a plan to allow Filipino maids to be hired in five big mainland cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen.

As Duterte is now committed to deepening the cooperation by virtue of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), there are reasons to believe that economic ties will get closer for the two states.

With the bilateral ties registering an upturn and reaching their “apex,” China and the Philippines have thawed the once-frosty relations and brought the ties back to a right track.

The China-Philippines story includes multiple positive elements, ranging from peaceful settlement of confrontation to common prosperity and inclusive growth. This story should be studied and summarized as it represents a new model for other countries to chart their diplomatic course.

(Cover Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, inspects the guard of honor in Manila, the Philippines, November 20, 2018. /Xinhua Photo)

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