RP – a Chinese province? (Philippines)

The Daily Guardian ^ | July 17, 2018 | Modesto P. Sa-onoy

[2ndDivisionVet]

THE government is investigating the source of the tarpaulins that suddenly appeared in several places in Manila proclaiming the Philippines as a Province of China. I don’t think this is a prank but that there are sectors in this country that want to call attention to the possibility that at the rate the Duterte government is handling the West Philippine Sea and Scarborough Shoal issues, this country will truly become a province of China.

The idea of the Philippines as a Chinese province should not be seen as an impossibility. Even now the Chinese government is already engaged in clear propaganda to sell the idea that China is the future. For months China has pages in national papers showing developments in that country. Lately, propaganda news items are on national television. Of course, there are channels purely Chinese with English subtitles featuring all the best of China.

Nothing wrong with these because we have channels in Korea, India, Singapore, America, England, France, and Australia. But the contents do matter and here the lines are drawn between propaganda and information.

The tarpaulins express a concept that is alien to the Philippines and to other countries. In our concept of a province, the idea that we are part of China is a province unacceptable or unthinkable, but from the perspective of China treating us as one of its provinces is not alien but fact. This is known as “tributary system” that had been operational in China for centuries and still remains today.

Under the present situation, this is what China calls “one country, two systems.” China is the country, the system can differ, as long as the other considers China as its ruler to whom it pays tribute, not necessarily in monetary terms but recognition and obedience. Hong Kong and Macao, Tibet and other northern provinces are so treated.

China has always considered itself the center of the world (the Middle Kingdom), as the universe itself, the center of the world and for millennium it believed it constituted the world. Outside of the Middle Kingdom are barbarians (the name for outsiders) that can be tolerated as long as they are tributaries.

The Chinese diaspora in Asia during the millenniums are mere travels to the same country, either for trade or for settlement. In fact, the Middle Kingdom had forcibly settled many of its own race into other lands that they eventually assimilated and called part of the Middle Kingdom at the peripheries.

Some, however, rebelled as Japan, Korea, Vietnam and in the case of the Chinese in Malaysia, they ceded and established Singapore but retained their Chineseness. These did not happen in a century but in centuries, the reason that China can afford to wait, like a farmer waiting for the fruits to fall into his hands, or when ripe to simply pick up.

The Philippine policy under Duterte is merely another step and the tarpaulins declaring the Philippines as a province of China is an affirmation of where the Chinese propaganda is going. It is a testing of the waters, checking whether the fruit is ready for harvest.

Chinese investments are heavy in the Philippines not just under Duterte. It has been going on for years but finds a much richer ground under Duterte.

The Chinese had been in this archipelago for centuries before the Spaniards came. Historians tell us that the royal families in Mindanao had been to China bearing “gifts” to the Chinese emperor. This is the tributary system that to some extent China considers the Philippines as part of the Middle Kingdom but outside of it.

Extant records (1225 A.D.) or 300 years before the Spaniards arrived in this archipelago, show these islands, now the Philippines, was “a distributing trade center between the Arabs and the Chinese.” The Chinese had names for various populated islands. This presence and trade are evidenced by the abundance of Sung Dynasty (960-1276 A.D.) porcelain in places from Appari to Jolo. The Chinese presence, therefore prior to the Spanish conquest, was already considerable. China need not conquer its tributary.

The gifts given by local leaders to the Imperial Throne suggests to the Chinese that we were tributaries and therefore part of China. From their perspective, it explains why we are its province.

But that view is merely conceptual, not real. We need to deal with this subject more intensely.

[Red Badger]

The Vietnamese might have something to say about that.................

[entropy12]

Manila airport is the most crowded and dis-organized major city airport I have ever passed through. And never order anything with mushrooms or shrimp on Philippines Air, it will make sick.

[03A3]

Worst major airport I’ve ever been in and I’ve been to a few. Was there a few months ago and it seems to be getting worse.

[Zhang Fei]

Chinese rule would actually be an improvement for the PI. The real problem is that they cast off American rule in 1946. Even without statehood, the PI would be better off if it had remained an American territory, much like Guam or Puerto Rico.

[DIRTYSECRET]

They took over and built on those islands so close to Manilla. Honorable intentions?

[Zhang Fei]

[They took over and built on those islands so close to Manilla. Honorable intentions?]

---

I fully expect China to make a move on one of its neighbors. People talk about material motivations. I think that’s a load of bull. It’s, in part, how the leadership will sell these expeditions, along with notions of restoring Chinese power and prestige. But the leadership’s goals are probably the same as Alexander’s, Julius Caesar’s or Napoleon’s - to write their names in bold on the pages of history. Of course, it’s hard to motivate people to fight and sacrifice in order to put your names in neon lights for posterity. So they will stress material gains, national glory, etc. But the real motivation is personal fame for all eternity.

[elbook]

load of leftist/chi-com bullshit

[Lurker]

It’s a Co-Prosperity Sphere.

L

[entropy12]

Yes, China will soon claim Taiwan or even Philippines. And the lefties will not be bothered and EU who raised hell about Russia taking over Crimea will not be bothered.

Few know history of Crimea. I think it was either Brezhnev or Andropov of USSR who added Crimea to Ukraine. Both territories were part of Soviet Union. So now Russia reclaimed Crimea after USSR broke up. And as Putin said today, voters in Crimea voted to join Russia, so where are all the defenders of democracy?

[dfwgator]

Crimea was part of the Russian SSR until 1954.

Nikita Khrushchev, who was in a power struggle after Stalin’s death, decided to give it to the Ukrainian SSR, as an attempt to butter up the Ukrainians, since he served as Stalin’ henchman there.

It was more of a symbolic gesture, than anything.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks 2ndDivisionVet.

[rbmillerjr]

It was an illegal election with no basis in Ukrainian law.

It was an attempt to give legitimacy to a planned Russian military coup.

The Russians are not anybody’s friends and have few in the world, but they are extremely weak and more of a nuisance than anything else.

[AdmSmith]

Few know history of Crimea.

Yes, you are right, read about https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Kucuk-Kaynarca in 1774 when the undisputed Ottoman control of the Black Sea ended and it provided a diplomatic basis for future Russian intervention in internal affairs of the Ottoman Empire. and in 1783 Crimea was incorporated into the Russian Empire.

Cherry picking history is easy!

[entropy12]

All true what you said, but when I heard between US & Russia there is 90% of nukes in the world, it is impossible to ignore Russia. If Russia ever opens up capitalistic, with it’s vast natural resources will be power to contend with. But that is not likely for decades.