Opinion | Blinken's barbaric way – of intervening the disputes between China and Philippines – tells tale
By Augustus K. Yeung
I have been keeping an eye on Mr. Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State since the days his nation's military hastily pulled out of Kabal; in its chaos, many mistakes were made and many a military man, including hundreds of innocent civilians were wounded in Afghanistan. Then he described his feelings as "heart-wrenching", according to the New York Times.
Hastily, the U.S. Army pulled out; and with civilians hanging on to an American plane, which took off, only to soon drop them down to their deaths, including a young Afghan footballer on the national team.
Hastily, this time the White House team – under the President Biden's urgent bidding – seize the maritime dispute issue over the Ren'ai Reef, which the Philippines calls the Second Thomas Shoal. Only this time, it is not about American troops retreating from but keenly and eagerly entering the Philippine islands of strategic value, seizing control of the dispute-issue, turning it into a card of opportunity in hand – so that he can play it against his archrival, Donald J. Trump, the former U.S. president – who has just been qualified after Super Tuesday to represent the Republican Party so he can contend for and reclaim his White House ownership.
For now, let us turn our attention to a local Greater Bay Area English-language report on Mr. Blinken's visit to the Philippines – where he will be meeting with high officials and Mr. Marcos Jnr.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will underscore Washington's "ironclad commitment" to its alliance with the Philippines, as clashes between the Chinese and Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea turn more hostile, the U.S. State Department announced.
Blinken, the latest high-level official to visit the U.S. treaty ally, met his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo yesterday (Tuesday, March 19), before planned meetings with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other top officials in Manila.
Next month (April), President Joe Biden will host Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida – in a White House summit amid growing concerns over "increasingly aggressive Chinese actions in the South China Sea and North Korea's nuclear program."
"The Chinese coast guard blocked and used water cannons against Philippine vessels in a confrontation two weeks ago (in March) – that slightly injured a Filipino admiral and four of his sailors – near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal."
The March 5 faceoff in the high seas also cause two minor collisions between Chinese and Philippine vessels and prompted Manila's Department of Foreign Affairs to summon China's deputy ambassador to convey a protest against the Chinese coast guard's actions, which the Philippines said were unacceptable.
Washinton renewed a warning after the hostilities that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships or aircraft come under an armed attack – anywhere in the South China Sea.
The Chinese coast guard said that "it took control measures in accordance with the law against Philippine ships that illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Reef, the name Beijing uses for Second Thomas Shoal.
The Second Thomas Shoal, which is occupied by a small Philippine navy contingent but surrounded by Chinese coast guard ships and other allied vessels, was the site of several tense skirmishes between Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships last year.
But Filipino officials said the confrontation earlier this month (of March) was particularly serious, because of the injuries sustained – by its navy personnel and damage to their vessel.
In his meetings with Marcos and Manalo, Blinken will "advance shared economic priorities and underscore the United States' ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Philippine alliance," the State Department said yesterday.
They will "discuss areas to deepen U.S.-Philippine cooperation on a range of bilateral and global issues, including on regional peace and stability, human rights and democracy, economic prosperity" among others, the Statement Department said.
Note 1: Outside the presidential palace, dozens of left-wing activists tore a mock U.S. flag in a noisy rally yesterday – to oppose Blinken's visit and U.S. involvement in the long-simmering territorial disputes.
Note 2: Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, a key global trade route.
Note 3: Washington has been strengthening an arc of military alliances and security relationships in the Indo-Pacific, including with the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries – at odds with China in the disputed sea. (Source: MDT/AP)
Mr. Blinken, ordinarily a decent man, is now acting out of character, possibly commissioned to do Joe Biden's bidding. This is Biden's Plan B, if – in his rivalry – there is no hope of scoring a decisive victory over Donald Trump in the November presidential election.
The success of Plan B is premised on the theoretical assumption that the efficient, effective and powerful option to achieve inter-party unity – the threat of bashing and trashing the Communist Party of China – can be risky. It is Biden's last resort to the White House ownership. It is the only hope of beating archrival Donald Trump, who is personally bent on destroying "crooked Joe" and reclaiming his "stolen" presidency.
For the mere reason of sticking to his presidency is not a sufficient and logical reason to start a war with China – especially in the spirit of the November San Francisco Summit 2023. For a decent person for whom morality matters most such as Joe Biden, this is unthinkable!
But – in the context of cut-throat competition and rivalry with Donald Trump, this Plan B may be Biden's last ditch of dirty trick – however tricky that may be. By nature, Biden is a rational, seasoned politician, a man of standard Irish-Catholic morality, who practically grew up in the Washington corridor of power.
To wage war on China is going against the grain. But, in Biden's logic: He'd rather wage a war – with Xi's China, a sovereign nation – than lose his personal duel with Donald Trump, in a vicious family feud.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
To contact the writer, please direct email: AugustusKYeung@ymail.com
Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:
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