By Fernan Angeles
FOLLOWING China’s most recent atrocities at the West Philippine Sea, an American defense expert dissuaded the Philippine government from seeking audience with the Chinese government which has been habitually bullying countries with lesser military capabilities.
In an online forum organized by the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea, American defense expert retired United States Navy Capt. Carl Schuster assailed China for bullying only the weak countries, even as he accused China of intentionally defying international laws.
Schuster, who served as Director of Operations at US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center near Pearl Harbor, likwise hinted the need for the Philippines to seriouly consider organizing regular consultations with its allies — with special mention of the United States.
A professor on Diplomacy and Military Science Program at the Hawaii Pacific University, Schuster sees China as trying to check on how the Philippines would respond to its attacks.
Interestingly, the US presence at the West Philippine Sea, he added, somehow gave Chinese President Xi Jinping a puzzle that China can’t seem to decipher, as the Chinese government reverted on its usual argument embarking on ancient maps that was earlier dismissed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
The continued aggression of the Chinese Coast Guards and Chinese militia vessels has caused economic and political setbacks for which China resorted to intimidation.
While the Philippines has been doing the right thing by filing one diplomatic protest after another, Shuster said — “Without a strong backing, it is not enough against totalitarian leaders like Xi to back off.”
“Dialogue without results are useless,” he added.
Schuster also sees a dent on the Chinese Communist Party, amid reports of displeasure among its members.
Meanwhile, the NYMWPS founder ang global chairperson Dr. Celia Lamkin stood firm against China’s relentless aggression at in an area well within the 200-nautical mile Philippine exclusive economic zone.
NYMWPS is a transglobal organization advocating preservation of the Philippines’ sovereignty and territorial integrity.
