Philippines vs. Chinese expansionism

Initiative, a research group, China’s Coast Guard patrolled the Ayungin Shoal for 279 days last year, which is an increase from the 232 days of patrolling in 2021.

from nearby states who have not stood up to the gun lobby.

According to Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)’s Asian American Voter Survey, 77 percent of Asian American voters believe our country needs stronger gun laws. And now, we are in a position to play a key role in strengthening our gun laws.

Over the past few years, Asian Americans have emerged to become the margin of victory in key elections. This is not only true in California, but everywhere from Pennsylvania, to Georgia, to Arizona. In 2020, Asian Americans saw a 47 percent increase in voter turnout from 2016 – the highest increase of any racial group! We are determining elections, and our power will only grow.

Consequently, there has been increased talk about how to “win the Asian American vote.” I’ll tell you: engaging with us and making sure our communities feel safe, protected, and secure – that includes implementing stricter, common sense gun laws.

As an elected official in a majority Asian city, I understand first-hand the importance of public safety. Asian Americans are not a monolith, and we often do not agree on the issues, but I can tell you with full confidence that this is an issue that unites us. And at a time where 85% of Asian American voters list “crime/public safety” as an important issue to them when voting, this is an issue that is not fading away anytime soon.

The City of Monterey Park’s motto is: “Pride in Our Past, Faith in the Future.” We will not let recent tragedy define us, and we have faith we can plot a better path forward – one devoid of gun violence, and one that prioritizes the lives of our family, friends, and neighbors, not firearms. As elected officials, we have the power to make this a reality. But we cannot wait ten years, we cannot wait ten months. We must act today, or be held accountable by a community who refuses to accept this violence any longer. (Ethnic Media Services)

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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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Henry Lo currently serves as a councilmember of Monterey Park representing District 4, and served as Mayor of Monterey Park during the 2023 shooting. Henry is a second generation Californian whose parents immigrated to the United States seeking the American Dream. He grew up as a latchkey kid and was the first in his family to go to college. He has over 20 years of experience in community relations, media communications, local activism, policy advocacy, and political campaigning.

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About APIAVote: Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is a leading national nonpartisan organization that works with partners to mobilize Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in electoral and civic participation. See more information at www. apiavote.org/

THE tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is caused by Beijing’s military and naval presence in the waters which are part of Philippine territory. Early this month, a Chinese Coast Guard ship directed a laser at the Philippine vessel BRP Malapascua.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard, this incident caused “temporary blindness to the crew at the bridge.” This incident happened at the Ayungin Shoal which is partially Philippine controlled.

Australia and Canada have in the past accused Chinese naval vessels of directing a laser at their military aircraft. According to military and coast guard officials, targeting ships with laser can undermine safety.

This latest confrontation between the Philippine and Chinese naval vessels shows such confrontation has increased in frequency. According to the Asian Maritime Transparency

The China Coast Guard has become more assertive after Beijing authorized it to fire on all foreign ships in these disputed waters. Again, I should point out that the Ayungin Shoal is not considered disputed waters by the Philippines. In the 2016 arbitration ruling, the Philippine claim was upheld that this is part of the Philippines’ sovereign territory. In spite of this, the Chinese vessels have repeatedly been shadowing or blocking Philippine Coast Guard vessels near the Ayungin Shoal.

The Philippines has a naval outpost on the BRP Sierra Madre which was deliberately run aground on the Ayungin Shoal in 1999. This has become the Philippine naval outpost in that area. The BRP Malapascua was supporting a rotation of sailors and resupply for the BRP Sierra Madre when it was targeted by Chinese Coast Guard vessels.

In a public statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said, “The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships is a blatant disregard for and a clear violation of Philippine sovereign rights.”

The Philippines is not the only country that is experiencing Chinese aggression. The Chinese patrols have also been seen around the Vanguard Bank where Vietnam is exploring for oil. China has asked that the confrontations and maritime tensions should be handled with friendly consultations. The problem with this approach is that China has occupied Philippine territory and considers Philippine vessels and fishermen as intruders in these occupied areas which are actually part of Philippine territory.

The Philippine government has stated that it wants to maintain stable relations with China without inflaming tensions in the West Philippine Sea more than its present level. Unfortunately, it seems that the only way China will accept reducing tensions is if the Philippines surrenders its sovereign rights to this area, which is considered Philippine territory by international law.

The Philippine government is choosing whether to surrender these territories to Chinese invasion or seek the help of other countries which are also concerned about China’s expansionism. This is the reason for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States.

Recently, Japan has agreed to provide ships and training to the Philippine Coast Guard.

It is also seeking a reciprocal military access agreement with the Philippines. This will enable the two countries to participate in each other’s naval and military exercises.

The Philippine government must face hard choices. In order to reduce tensions, it must surrender its sovereignty over these contested territories. If it wants to protect the country’s waters and allow its fishermen the freedom to make a living in these waters, it must seek allies that will assist in containing Chinese aggression and expansionism in the West Philippine Sea.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has shown that the possibility of a non-nuclear war has dramatically increased. There was a time when people thought that there would be very limited threats to an all-out war because of the fear of a nuclear war. This has now been proven to be baseless.

The possibility therefore of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan without the risk of a nuclear war has now increased. In the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, it is clear that the Chinese bases in the Philippine sea will be used to assist in this invasion. Unless we are prepared to surrender sovereignty, we will see the prospect of Philippine territory being used as part of the effort to conquer Taiwan.

In this struggle against Chinese aggression, there is no clear path for the Philippines that will assure Philippine neutrality. (Philstar. com)

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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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Email: elfrencruz@gmail.com

OFW remittances hit record high in December

by NIÑA MYKA PAULINE ARCEO ManilaTimes.net

THE remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) rose to a record $3.49 billion in December, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Wednesday, February 15, bringing the fullyear tally to an all-time high of $36.14 billion.

"The robust inward remittances reflected the increasing demand for foreign workers amid the reopening of economies," the BSP said in a statement.

The December result — up 5.7 percent from $3.3 billion a year earlier — was attributed to higher remittances from land-based workers with contracts of a year or more and sea- and land-based OFWs with contracts of less than a year. The cumulative count for 2022, meanwhile, was 3.6 percent higher than 2021's $34.88 billion.

"The full-year 2022 level accounted for 8.9 percent and 8.4 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national income (GNI), respectively," the BSP said.

Of the total, cash remittances rose by 5.8 percent to $3.16 billion in December, up from $2.99 billion, while that for the full year hit $32.54 billion, 3.6 percent higher from 2021's $31.42 billion.

Michael Ricafort, the chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said that the increased holiday spending in December, with abolished Covid restrictions, compared to 1 to 2 years ago, resulted in higher OFW remittances.

"The sustained year-on-year growth in OFW remittances in recent months may also reflect a faster economic recovery in some major host countries for OFWs around the world that has enabled more OFWs to work again, especially in countries with increased COVID -19 vaccine shot rollouts that helped reduce new COVID-19 cases and moving toward greater economic normalcy and led to stronger economic recovery that entailed the creation of new jobs, including for OFWs," Ricafort added.

However, Ricafort cautioned that the positive development could be offset "by the fact that similarly higher inflation in host countries of OFWs could have also increased their cost of living, which could lessen their remittances to the country."

Nevertheless, the continued YoY growth in OFW remittances could improve the Philippine economy in terms of spurring consumer spending that accounts for at least 75 percent of the economy.

"The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar and the United Kingdom contributed largely to the increase in remittances in January-December 2022," the BSP said.

The US posted the highest share of overall remittances in 2022, followed by Singapore and Saudi Arabia. 