The Manila Times

Hypocrisy in the Summit of Democracy

has shown great strides in economic development, founded on democratic ideals. Why has it not been invited? Whatever the reason is, it cannot but be one that has effectively distanced the nation from United States policies in the Asean region. Recall that sometime ago, the United States struck up a military alliance with Australia and the United Kingdom (Aukus), specifically meant for building nuclear submarines for Australia. This would mean enabling the United States to fire nuclear warheads at China without being neutralized by Chinese interceptor missiles. The development raised alarm among Asean nations, except the Philippines which, as expressed by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., lauded the move thus: “The Philippines welcomes Australia’s decision to establish an enhanced trilateral security partnership with the United States primarily and the United Kingdom.

“Asean member states, singly and collectively, do not possess the military wherewithal to maintain peace and security in Southeast Asia, discourage the sudden creation of crises therein and avoid disproportionate and hasty responses by rival great powers. Preventive diplomacy and the rule of law do not stand alone in the maintenance of peace and security.

“There is an imbalance in the forces available to the Asean member states with the main balancer more than half a world away. The enhancement of a near abroad ally’s ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilize it. Despite advances in military science, time and distance, and the concomitant stopping power of water, remain major constants in determining security capacity to respond appropriately to threats.”

A similar sentiment was expressed by leaders of Malaysia and Indonesia.

The reaction by Singapore Premier Lee Hsien Loong, having been couched in diplomatic niceties, was distorted in Western media reports to mean approval when actually what he said was he “hoped” that the Aukus would “contribute constructively to the peace and stability of the region.”

“Hope” certainly denoted the danger to be brought about by the submarine deal.

In one respect, it would appear that in the Asean region, reaction to the Aukus became the yardstick for determining which was democratic and which was not. But this would be constricting the issue. The larger context is the continuing contention for world domination between the United States and China. Among the ten Asean nations, the invitation by Biden would disclose that only three qualified to be democracies: the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

On the whole, therefore, the Summit for Democracy is Biden’s furtive effort to draw the line between those on the side of America and those on China in what geopolitical analysts regard as a heightening Cold War. Too bad, therefore, that the Locsin positive overture to the Aukus must signal the Philippines taking up America’s battles against China. And this should raise a serious alarm for the country. For all of Duterte’s criticism of the United States and his unequivocal profession of friendship toward China, the Philippines continues to be tied to the US. In the event of hostilities,

America will certainly put to good use the military treaties it has with the Philippines: the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which either separately or in combination with one another will plunge the country in any US-China confrontation. Keeping these treaties in place compromises whatever noble pretensions the Philippines has for democracy to the singular benefit of the United States.

Any participation of the Philippines in the Summit for Democracy must underscore the need to end these treaties once and for all. Otherwise the event becomes one grand hypocritical exercise. Those treaties constitute the one single denial that democracy exists in the country.

Opinion

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2021-12-05T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-05T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281685438131475

The Manila Times