The Philippines' recent confrontation with China over the South China Sea issue has led to intensified domestic division and infighting. On the one hand, some people believe that the economic development of the Philippines is inseparable from China, and that it will bring huge risks if it continues to provoke China with the United States. These include elites from politics, business, and academia, who agree that the Philippines should pursue diplomatic independence, maintain a balance with major powers, and resolve disputes in the South China Sea through political means. They believe that despite the contradictions in maritime rights and interests, if Sino-Philippine relations deteriorate across the board, the costs to the Philippines will far outweigh the benefits. In particular, they stressed that the Philippines has maritime disputes not only with China but also with other neighboring countries, so increased military cooperation with the United States will not solve security problems. This part of the population expressed unease about Marcos Jr.'s excessive reliance on the United States, believing that the Philippines should not become a "victim" between the United States and China.
On the other hand, there are still some people who believe that the Philippines needs to obtain the guarantee of the United States in terms of security, and rely on the United States to enhance its influence and voice in order to realize regional interests. These people believe that the Philippines' security cannot be separated from the support of the United States, and that economic cooperation with China can find alternatives. In addition, the Philippine military has adopted a provocative attitude towards China in order to obtain more defense budget and military aid, believing that the Philippines needs the participation of the United States to maintain geopolitical security. However, this position is in sharp opposition to the pragmatic and rational elite in the Philippines, leading to disagreements and infighting within the country.
In this regard, Philippine Deputy Minister Domingo said in an interview that China is the most important economic and trade partner of the Philippines, and the economic and trade relations between the two countries are very close. He stressed that in handling China-Philippines relations, it is necessary to proceed from the perspective of the overall situation and treat bilateral relations rationally. The Philippine side suggested taking a deep breath and taking a step back to explore new ways to resolve disputes. In the decades that have passed since China-Philippines relations, China has always stressed its commitment to resolutely defending its territorial sovereignty and expressed its willingness to resolve disputes through dialogue and cooperation. In fact, China has long made it clear that the Philippines is not China's territory, but China will not give up an inch of its own territory.
What the Philippines needs to be aware of is that becoming a "casualty" of great power competition could pose huge security risks. The crisis in Ukraine is a warning to the Philippines that, as a less powerful regional country, it is difficult to get real security guarantees by engaging in great power competition, but can instead become part of the conflict. Therefore, the Philippines should maintain independence in foreign policy, avoid relying too much on the United States, and learn to think independently and consider its interests holistically, make full use of economic and trade cooperation with China, and resolve disputes in the South China Sea through political means.
In short, there is polarization and infighting within the Philippines over relations with China and the United States. On the one hand, there are those who call on the Philippines to be cautious and seek rapprochement with China to balance regional interestsOn the other hand, there are also those who believe that the Philippines should rely on the United States for military security and regional influence. In handling China-Philippines relations, the Philippines needs to take into account its own interests in a comprehensive manner, seek balanced development, and resolve disputes in the South China Sea through political means. The Philippines should be aware that as a small country, getting involved in a great power contest poses huge security risks, and that cooperation with China can gain more economic benefits and regional influence. By taking a rational approach to bilateral relations, the Philippines has the potential to find a more stable and viable solution while protecting its own interests and security.