Manila should back down in South China Sea dispute

China has backed down in a naval standoff with the Philippines in the South China Sea by withdrawing its two surveillance aircraft from the Scarborough Shoal, showing the savoir faire that characterizes great states and laying the groundwork for a diplomatic resolution to the territorial disputes in South China Sea.

Beijing has shown great political wisdom by refraining from aggravating the dispute with Manila, even though it is undergoing an internal power shift and cannot afford to show weakness towards foreign threats.

The Chinese foreign ministry said afterwards that Beijing didn't stir up the incident and would like to sort it out through negotiations with Manila. China's defense minister Liang Guanglie said the People's Liberation Army would act in line with the country's diplomatic policy, adding that Washington should contribute to the stability and prosperity in the region.

Liang was obviously prodding Washington to check Manila's irresponsible actions. The Philippines is not in a position to challenge China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, unless supported by Washington.

Without US encouragement, Manila could not have engaged in a standoff with Beijing. US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Australia and the Philippines one after another early this year to show their support for Manila on taking a tough stance on the South China Sea dispute.

Beijing is opposed to turning the dispute into an international issue. Instead, it has called for joint exploration of the undersea oil there with neighboring states and has signed an agreement governing actions in the South China Sea with ASEAN, of which the Philippines is a member state.

Washington is encouraging Manila's military aggression by conducting joint military drills with the Philippines near the controversial sea, even as it publicly calls for restraint.

Beijing may have backed down from the standoff to maintain stability at home in the aftermath of the dismissal of former Chongqing communist chief Bo Xilai, and in anticipation of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party.

However, Manila should not mistake this for China's fear of turning this into an international issue. If Manila digs in its heels in this dispute, it will only complicate the problem and lead to more serious confrontation.

Source: Want China Times

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