Ending asymmetrical bond

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

The visit to China by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, scheduled from Tuesday to Friday, is expected to offer an opportunity to improve the strained bilateral ties.

However, some scholars in the Philippines and in the United States argue that the value of Philippines' talks and cooperation with China stem from its military alliance with the US, hinting that only through its alliance with the US does Manila gain bargaining chips in any talks with Beijing. Duterte's diplomatic move, they conclude, should not sacrifice Manila's bond with Washington.

Such an argument exposes the Cold War mindset among some in the US, and their concern over their allies' cooperation with other countries, which they think may lead to their estrangement from Washington.

The "absolute obedience" to the US pursued by former Philippine president Benigno Aquino III may have served the US' interests, but it has also plunged the Philippine's economic cooperation with China to a new low, which has proven detrimental to the Philippines' interests.

Duterte's remarks and actions since his election as Philippine president indicate his intention to change the asymmetrical ties with the US and foster pragmatic cooperation with more countries, including China.

His administration's pursuit of an independent foreign policy is to better serve the Philippines' interests, as indicated by his remarks on different occasions to play down the award in the Philippine's favor in the arbitration case initiated by his predecessor and his halt to joint naval patrols with the US in the South China Sea. A series of domestic problems, such as the poverty in the country, have also underscored Duterte's need to conduct pragmatic cooperation with China.

It is unrealistic to expect a single visit to resolve all the differences between the countries. But talks are the best approach for China and the Philippines to bring ties back onto the track of healthy development.