THE Philippines should speak with a consistent voice in dealing with China because conflicting statements from government officials could undermine Manila's credibility and make it harder to build mutual trust with Beijing, a foreign policy scholar and international relations professor said.
Prof. Enrico Gloria, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of the Philippines Diliman's Department of Political Science and a scholar of Chinese foreign policy and Philippine-China relations, said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should take the lead in the country's diplomatic engagement with China, particularly on maritime and territorial disputes.
“There’s no way that we can live together if we do not engage with China, especially in our maritime disputes or territorial disputes with them,” Gloria said during a forum organized by the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute (ACPSSI).
Gloria said continuous engagement with Beijing should be regarded as a normal part of Philippine diplomacy, but Manila must ensure that its messaging is consistent.
“We must speak with a consistent and predictable voice so that consistency and predictability builds mutual trust in China,” he said.
Sustained engagement needed
Gloria said the Philippines should continue engaging China through bilateral and multilateral channels instead of limiting diplomacy to a single format.
“Whatever type of engagement is available there, we must be willing to sincerely negotiate with our counterparts,” he said.
He said negotiations should take a longer-term view and be guided by a more nuanced understanding of what China wants from the international community and specifically from the Philippines.
This deeper understanding should be cultivated among Filipino diplomats and foreign policymakers, Gloria said.
He said the Philippines should study China's history, the origins of its political system and its historical struggles to better understand the factors that continue to shape Beijing's foreign policy.
Developing a deeper understanding of China, he said, is a challenge for the current administration but also presents an opportunity for Philippine policymakers.
He said understanding China's historical experience and political system could help Filipino officials better assess Beijing's actions and formulate a more informed and consistent policy.