भारतीय रोज़ नई ख़बरें – Page 3 – भारतीय रोज़ न्यूज़ भारत की सबसे अधिकारपूर्ण, समय पर और विश्वसनीय समाचार सलाहकार वेबसाइट है

One person shot dead in New Caledonia unrest: official

A fire in the street after a supermarket was looted and shops vandalized in the N’Gea district of Noumea, May 14, 2024. /CFP

One person was shot dead and two others were wounded on Tuesday night as violent protests and looting rocked New Caledonia, according to the high commissioner of the French Pacific territory.

“Of the three wounded admitted to emergency, one is dead, the victim of a gunshot,” High Commissioner of the Republic Louis Le Franc told reporters, adding that the deceased was not from the police or the gendarmes.

Unrest erupted Monday in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia as protesters demonstrated against a constitutional reform being debated in the national assembly in Paris that aims to expand the electorate in the territory’s provincial elections.

Local authorities on Tuesday announced a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. following overnight riots.

Under the Noumea Accord signed in 1998, the French overseas territory was granted the right to three referendums on its future political status.

All of the three referendums, held in 2018, 2020 and 2021, rejected independence.

The pro-independence Indigenous Kanaks rejected the result of the last referendum, held in December 2021, which they had boycotted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABC News reported.

The latest voting reform, which triggered Monday’s violence, proposes the residency requirement to qualify for New Caledonian citizenship to be reduced to 10 years.

(With input from agencies)

Chinese scientists map macaque brain networks

Macaque brain networks. /Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Automation

A Chinese research team has successfully drawn a novel network map of a macaque brain that will help explain the macroscopic organizational patterns of the human brain.

The map, created by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Automation, divided the macaque brain into 304 distinct regions and quantitatively depicted the anatomical and functional connectivity patterns of each region.

Complex human behavior is driven by different functional networks in the brain. These networks are essentially collections of brain regions that communicate with one another through functional connections.

As macaques are highly similar to humans in terms of genetics, physiology and brain structure, the species is an ideal model for the study of the mechanisms of human cognitive function and can be used in the simulation of human brain diseases, said Jiang Tianzi, a researcher at the institute.

The panoramic brain map expressing the spatial organization of the macaque brain is an important research result as it can be translated for the study of the human brain, Jiang said.

It aids our understanding of brain function and will advance important research fields such as translational medicine, cross-species comparison and the digital modeling of the brain.

(Cover image via CFP)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency

Asia’s extreme April heat worsened by climate change, scientists say

Women use scarves to shield themselves from the sun on a hot day in Hyderabad, India, May 2, 2024. /CFP

Extreme temperatures throughout Asia last month were made worse as a result of human-driven climate change, a team of international scientists said on Wednesday.

Billions of people across the continent were affected by record-breaking temperatures during April, with schools forced to shut down, crops damaged and hundreds of people killed by heat-related illnesses, climate experts from the World Weather Attribution group said in a report.

A man walking past air conditioning units on a building in Tokyo, Japan, April 30, 2024. /CFP

Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam experienced their hottest April days on record, while temperatures in India reached as high as 46 degrees Celsius, they said.

“From Gaza to Delhi to Manila, people suffered and died when April temperatures soared in Asia,” said Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science at the Grantham Institute of Climate Change and the Environment, one of the report’s authors.

“Heat waves have always happened. But the additional heat, driven by emissions from oil, gas and coal, is resulting in death for many people.”

In the Philippines, one of the worst-hit countries, authorities issued health warnings, shut down schools and rationed electricity supplies as soaring temperatures threatened the country’s power grid.

A small-clawed otters seen feeding on frozen fish to help it cool down from the heat at Chiang Mai Zoo, April 29, 2024. /CFP

The 15-day heat wave, which started in the middle of the month, would have been “virtually impossible, even under El Nino conditions” without the impact of man-made global warming, the report said.

Parts of the Middle East saw record-breaking temperatures over April 24-26, with Tel Aviv hitting 40.7 degrees Celsius. Extreme temperatures in western Asia were made five times more likely by climate change, the report estimated.

“The heat that we saw is really compounding an already dire crisis at the moment in Gaza,” Carolina Pereira Marghidan of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center said at a briefing on Tuesday.

A construction worker at a road construction site in San Miguel, Bulacan province, the Philippines, May 2, 2024. /CFP

Temperatures around India’s Kolkata in late April reached 46 degrees Celsius, 10 degrees higher than the seasonal average, with climate change making extreme temperatures throughout South Asia around 45 times more likely, the report added.

Asian governments need to take action to adapt to soaring temperatures and minimize health risks, particularly in vulnerable sections of the population, said Marghidan.

“Considering that rate at which extreme heat is rising… we see a big need for heat action plans to be scaled up and current plans to be improved across Asia,” she said.

Source(s): Reuters

What to expect from the upcoming China-Russia Expo

A poster of the eighth China-Russia Expo in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, May 8, 2024. /CFP

The eighth China-Russia Expo is set to take place from May 16 to 21 in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.

The event is part of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will also pay a state visit to China from May 16 to 17, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

This will be Putin’s first state visit after he was sworn in as Russian president for a new term.

The upcoming expo will feature a significant lineup of Russian enterprises organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Additionally, 16 Russian federal entities will present their businesses at the event, Chinese Commerce Ministry official Liu Xuesong said at a news conference.

The expo will also serve as a platform to highlight Russia’s socioeconomic development, investment opportunities, cooperative projects, quality products and distinctive cultural elements. It aims to foster extensive discussions and negotiations between the two countries in various sectors.

The expo is expected to attract over 5,000 professional buyers from more than 120 delegations representing 44 countries and regions.

Its exhibition area will span 388,000 square meters, showcasing more than 5,000 products in over 20 major categories from 10 sectors.

The host city of the China-Russia Expo alternates between the two countries. Since its inception in 2014, the expo has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian enterprises, over 1.05 million merchants, facilitating contracts totaling 446.8 billion yuan (about $61.8 billion) in value.

Continued trade growth

In recent years, the trade volume between China and Russia has been expanding. In 2023, bilateral trade between the two countries reached $240.1 billion, achieving an established trade target of $200 billion ahead of schedule.

The first quarter of 2024 saw that positive trend continues, with the bilateral trade reaching $56.68 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent, according to data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Trade between China and Russia continued to expand in 2024, featured by growth in traded products such as energy, automobiles as well as general machinery and equipment, said Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC’s Department of Statistics and Analysis.

In a written interview with Xinhua, Putin noted that the rapid development of Russia-China trade relations has been demonstrating strong immunity to external challenges and crises.

In the past five years, trade between the two countries has doubled, he noted, saying that China has been Russia’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and in 2023, Russia ranked the fourth among China’s trading partners. More than 90 percent of transactions between the companies from the two countries are settled in their national currencies, Putin added.

Concerted efforts to protect wildlife in China and Russia

A snow leopard is spotted at the Sanjiangyuan National Park in Qinghai. /CFP

China has established a network of nature reserves, national parks, and other protected areas to preserve its diverse ecosystems, with Sanjiangyuan National Park being one of the most representative.

Black-necked cranes are seen at the Sanjiangyuan National Park in Qinghai. /CFP

Established in 2021, Sanjiangyuan National Park covers 190,700 square kilometers (73,630 square miles) and is the largest national park in China. Located in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, it is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. Known as “China’s water tower,” it is an important source of fresh water for the country.

A bharal mother and her kid are seen at the Sanjiangyuan National Park in Qinghai. /CFP

With an average elevation of around 4,500 meters, this pristine park has abundant resources of wetlands and forests and provides an ideal habitat for wildlife. Some 310 species of wild vertebrates are found in the park, including the rare snow leopard, Tibetan antelope and black-necked crane.

A Siberian tiger is spotted at the Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia. /IC

Bordering China, the Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia was established in 2012 to protect the Amur leopard, then the world’s rarest big cat with an estimated population of 30 individuals. Five years later, the number of Amur leopards has increased to about 100.

A pheasant is seen at the Leopard National Park in Russia. /IC

The park is also home to dozens of other mammal species, including the Siberian tiger and the Eurasian lynx, as well as 184 recorded bird species.

A roe deer is seen at the Leopard National Park in Russia. /IC

The Land of the Leopard National Park also works closely with the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park to protect Siberian tigers and Amur leopards.

Is the Philippines’ Atin Ito really a civic group?

The China Coast Guard takes photos of a Philippine vessel illegally intruding into waters adjacent to China’s Huangyan Dao, February 15, 2024. /VCG

A Philippine non-governmental organization (NGO) called Atin Ito, or “This is ours,” is convening a group of fishermen in the waters around China’s Huangyan Dao in mid May to begin a fresh round of provocation in the South China Sea, Philippine media reported.

The self-proclaimed “group of civilian volunteers” is politically affiliated and a government-led effort by the Philippines and the U.S., according to experts and media reports.

“It’s not the first time that the organization conducted the so-called peaceful activities in the South China Sea,” Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told CGTN.

Ding said Atin Ito has a certain political background. The actual leader of the organization, Rafaela David, is also the chairman of the Akbayan Party in the Philippines. Although this political party is relatively small in the Philippine political arena, it has been using various political issues in the Philippines to increase its presence and influence in recent years.

The militaries of the Philippines and the U.S. also do not hide their relations with the organization. The Philippine Star reported that Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine navy spokesman, voiced support on May 2 for Atin Ito’s upcoming “civilian supply mission” to Huangyan Dao. “And so long as they abide by all the guidelines given by the government, we support all activities, civic society,” he said.

Citing an article titled “Lighting Up The Gray Zone” by U.S. Air Force Captain Benjamin Goirigolzarri published on the U.S. Naval Institute’s website, the Asian Century Journal report said that the U.S. established a new strategy in the South China Sea called Project Myoushu, which is a derivative of the U.S. Naval Institute’s Maritime Counterinsurgency (COIN) Project tailored specifically to counter China’s “dominance” in the South China Sea.

The project previously hyped the China Coast Guard’s law enforcement operations in the South China Sea, attempted to incite public opinion and push for governments of countries around the South China Sea to become hard on China, and damaged the peace China and other countries in the region have created. The Asian Century Journal report deduced that the Atin Ito Coalition is indeed a joint U.S.-Philippines effort.

Why Huangyan Dao is not a Philippine territory

The territory of the Philippines is defined by a series of international treaties, including the 1898 Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, the 1900 Treaty between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain for Cession of Outlying Islands of the Philippines, and the 1930 Convention between His Majesty in Respect of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States regarding the Boundary between the State of North Borneo and the Philippine Archipelago.

Huangyan Dao, an island in the South China Sea, is beyond the limits of Philippine territory based on the above treaties.

It was also marked outside the Philippines’ territorial limits in the official Philippine maps published in 1981 and 1984. The map published in 2006 showed no changes.

Tariff hikes on Chinese products hurt U.S. economy and global fight against climate change: Opinions

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on American Investments and Jobs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington D.C., May 14, 2024. /CFP

The recent decision by the Biden administration to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports has sparked criticism from various quarters within the United States. Critics, including experts, officials, and media outlets, argued that these measures have the potential to inflict harm on U.S. consumers, potentially leading to substantial job losses, and undermining the global efforts to combat climate change.

The tariffs, affecting a range of industries including Chinese electric vehicles, solar panels, and steel products, were introduced under the banner of “protecting American workers and businesses,” despite the fact that President Biden had previously criticized similar tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which he argued having inflicted economic pain on U.S. farmers, consumers, and manufacturers who had to face elevated import prices.

These tariffs are expected to drive up costs for U.S. distributors, retailers, and ultimately consumers, according to an analysis from CNN. Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, was cited as saying that the tariffs typically make more political than economic sense.

The view was echoed by Kenny Polcari, chief market strategist at SlateStone Wealth, who said that the move would bring greater pain to American consumers.

Criticism of President Biden’s move has also emerged from within the political sphere.

Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado, said in a social media post that “This is horrible news for American consumers and a major setback for clean energy.” “Tariffs are a direct, regressive tax on Americans and this tax increase will hit every family,” he added.

Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and the Stiefel Trade Policy Center at the Cato Institute, highlighted the contradiction between raising tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, solar panels, and batteries, and President Biden’s stated commitment to addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions, in an interview with FOX Business.

Meanwhile, leading Chinese photovoltaic companies such as Longi Green Energy, JA Solar Technology, and JinkoSolar have indicated that the latest tariffs on solar cells are unlikely to significantly impact the domestic photovoltaic industry, as reported by financial news outlet Yicai.

Upcoming industry investment event highlights new momentum for Central China’s rise

A panoramic view of the Binjiang New City in Changsha, Central China’s Hunan Province File photo: VCG

Chinese officials announced on Tuesday that the six provinces in Central China will each host a targeted industry supply chain investment promotion event during the 13th Expo Central China, which will be held in Changsha, the capital of Central China’s Hunan Province, from May 31 to June 2. Experts anticipate the event will inject new momentum for the region’s rise.

The move marks the first innovative endeavor since the critical investment event’s inception in 2006, adding to China’s robust drive to build the region into favorable destinations for industrial transfers from coastal areas amid economic restructuring.

Vice Minister of Commerce Ling Ji introduced the key highlights of the upcoming event during a press conference on Tuesday, which include industrial chain investment promotion sessions led by central provinces, focusing on advanced manufacturing sectors such as modern petrochemicals, new materials, electronic information and new-energy vehicles, aiming to attract foreign investment.

The six localities are Hunan, Hubei and Henan in Central China, Anhui and Jiangxi in East China, and Shanxi in North China.

Experts believe that the innovative sessions will highlight collaborative endeavors across regions aimed at fostering integrated economic development and attracting external investors to strengthen ties with the global economy amid the country’s pursuit of high-quality development and high-level opening-up.

The six central provinces so far have hosted a total of 55 state-level economic and technological development zones, serving as vital platforms for industrial transfer. In 2023, these zones achieved a regional GDP of nearly 3 trillion yuan ($414.65 billion), with total trade exceeding 1 trillion yuan and actual foreign investment reaching $2.4 billion, according to official data that Ling cited.

Ling also unveiled the ministry’s forthcoming measures to accelerate the rise of Central China. Focus areas include strengthening foreign investment and trade, enhancing domestic trade circulation, and expediting the establishment of trade cooperation pilot zones and free trade zones, in a bid to elevate regional integration that is in line with the plan of high-quality development.

The plan aligns with China’s ongoing push for the rise of the central region. China’s leadership at a top-level symposium in March called for solid efforts to further energize the central region at a higher starting point, due to its pivotal role as important bases for grain production, energy and raw materials, modern equipment manufacturing and high-tech industries, and as a comprehensive transportation hub.

The central region holds strategic importance and is an ideal destination for industrial relocation from coastal areas due to its geographical, labor and infrastructure advantages. The phased industrial transfer plan will aid the country’s high-quality development and help avoid industrial relocation to other countries, Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

“Central provinces such as Hunan and Hubei have unveiled plans to transition toward middle-to-high-end industries, positioning themselves as leaders in industrial upgrades,” Tian added, noting that with the ramping-up of policy support from the central government, the region’s economy will gain new development momentum.

During an investigation and research tour in Anhui on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for greater efforts to foster emerging industries and future industries, make breakthroughs in core technologies in key areas, and create new engines for sustained economic growth, which experts said showed the central government’s firm stance in promoting the rise of the region.

The region’s industrial relocation and growth are pivotal for China’s industrial chain security. The central provinces, with their solid manufacturing base and research capabilities, can serve as key nodes in China’s industrial chain development, further promoting the country’s industrial chain security and long-term sustainable development, Bian Yongzu, a senior industry research fellow and visiting scholar at Yale University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Bian stressed that amid the global green economy trend, China has made remarkable accomplishments in a series of high-tech sectors by cultivating leading enterprises and industrial zones, which “offer favorable conditions and set models for the central region’s development in related fields.”

The region is vigorously advancing its high-quality development driven by the new quality productive forces – a key focus of this year’s expo.

In 2023, the central region’s combined GDP reached nearly 27 trillion yuan, more than one-fifth of the national total, highlighting its crucial role in the economy, according to official data.

Hunan’s high-tech industry investment rose by 7.9 percent, with high-tech manufacturing’s value added up by 14.7 percent and information services up 13.1 percent.

The initiative to promote the rise of the central region was initially introduced two decades ago. Over the past decades, the momentum of the central region’s advance has been robust. Official data indicates that during China’s 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), the economy of the region grew at an average annual rate of 8.6 percent.

First female referee in Chinese Super League aims at men’s World Cup

Chinese referee Xie Lijun officiates in the Chinese Super League match between Shanghai Port and Shandong Taishan in Shanghai on April 14, 2024. Photo: IC

In the 2024 season, women referees have written themselves into the history of Chinese soccer.

At a game during the sixth round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) between Shanghai Port and Shandong Taishan, international assistant referee Xie Lijun served as the second assistant referee, becoming the first woman in the Chinese mainland to officiate in the country’s top-flight men’s soccer league.

On May 4, during a game in China’s third-division league, Tian Jin became the first female referee to officiate a professional men’s match as the head referee.

Currently working as a yoga, soccer, and volleyball teacher at the Sichuan University Jinjiang College in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Xie told the Global Times that her debut at the CSL opened a new chapter of her career and she looks forward to officiating the men’s World Cup in future.

“Before the match started, I was a little nervous. But as soon as the whistle blew, my entire focus shifted to the game, and the nervousness dissolved. I believe I have reached a new milestone, with a clearer sense of direction for my future,” said the 34-year-old.

Defending champions Shanghai came from behind to edge past Shandong 4-3 in a high-voltage game where Xie’s calm performance added a delicate touch to the intense competition.

When questioned to assess her performance on a scale from 1 to 10, Xie rated it at 7.5. There’s a notable contrast in the physicality and intensity between men’s and women’s soccer games, she noted.

“I took the time to review the previous matches of both Shanghai and Shandong, focusing on analyzing their technical and tactical strategies. Having ample awareness and understanding of the fast-paced technical and tactical strategies in men’s soccer is crucial in preparing for the game. I have also improved my physique, especially enhancing my ability to initiate rapid movements,” Xie said.

Nuanced understanding

Hailing from a village in Bazhong, Sichuan Province, Xie said she never imagined herself pursuing a career related to soccer when she was a child.

Xie specialized in athletics when she was at school and it was not until college that she embarked on the path of soccer refereeing thanks to her exceptional physique and the guidance of her soccer coach.

Starting from scratch to learn soccer knowledge isn’t easy for Xie. She admitted that it’s not the rules of the game that are difficult, but rather the understanding of the sport itself.

Becoming an outstanding referee requires abundant physical fitness, proficiency in English, a deep understanding of soccer, robust psychological resilience, and keen insight, she said.

Tian echoed Xie’s sentiments, saying that she needs to improve stamina to keep up with the pace of men’s game.

“The men players moved 1.5 to 2 times faster than I had imagined. The pace of their actions, the frequency of fouls, as well as their passing and shooting all require intense concentration. I need to have abundant physical stamina and speed to keep up with their game,” Tian told the Xinhua News Agency.

“I covered a distance of 1.3 kilometers during the game, according to the post-match statistics. It is rare in women’s matches. However, I think it’s still not enough for men’s games, and I need to work harder,” Tian noted.

However, compared to male referees, Xie said women tend to have a more nuanced understanding of the game, with a heightened “intuition” on the field, particularly for assisting referees.

As an elite assistant referee under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Xie has officiated in previous FIFA events. After ascending to the ranks of accredited international referees, she took charge of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2022 and was the only Chinese referee at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup held in France.

Motivation, confidence

These milestone moments in the Chinese league are sure to get more women interested in soccer and sports officiating while setting a powerful example for fellow female referees, encouraging them to aspire to greater heights in their soccer careers.

The recent publicity about female referees could give young people who strive to pursue this career more motivation and confidence to persevere, said Tian, who works at Zhejiang Yuexiu University as a physical education teacher.

“Many sports major students have sought my advice on how to become a soccer referee since my debut at the CSL in April,” Xie said.

In this season of the CSL, Xie and another female referee Dong Fangyu have respectively officiated in four matches as assistant referees and video assistant referees. Selecting outstanding women referees to officiate men’s professional matches is one of the fresh initiatives of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) this year, that is dedicated to providing more opportunities to eligible female referees to showcase and enhance their abilities.

The initiative is also in line with the international tendency. In recent years, FIFA and the AFC have mandated that elite referees must officiate men’s matches in their own countries because women’s soccer has increasingly adopted a style similar to men’s, particularly in Europe and the Americas, with the players’ physical conditions, the intensity of attacking, and defending comparable to youth men’s matches.

Therefore, if female referees only officiate in domestic women’s leagues, it’s challenging for them to meet the requirements of matches at the World Cup level, according to the CFA.

“Modern women’s soccer has tended toward the men’s game, and female referees officiating men’s matches is very common in Europe. Therefore, I have also been working hard in this direction,” Xie said.

Talking of her goal, Xie has already set her sights on the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

“I hope more Chinese women referees will take part in the women’s World Cup and Asia’s elite men’s competitions. In future, I wish to step onto the stage of men’s World Cup,” she said.

Filipinos unaware their country has become subject of a security transaction with US

A protester holds a sign to protest against the continued presence of US troops in the Philippines in front of the US Embassy in Manila on July 4 2023. Photo: VCG

Editor’s Note:

As China-Philippines tensions heat up, what insights can be drawn from past periods of friendly ties? Bobby M. Tuazon
(Tuazon), director for Policy Studies of Philippine think tank Center for People Empowerment in Governance, former Chairman of Political Science Program at University of the Philippines, told Global Times
(GT) reporter Li Aixin that 99 percent of Filipinos forget that China exported oil and rice to the Philippines at a very low price at the beginning of their diplomatic relationship when the Philippines’ development faced huge challenges. While the US gives bullets, powder, cannons and missiles to the Philippines, it has nothing to give in terms of food.

GT: What concerns you most about South China Sea tensions between China and the Philippines heating up?

Tuazon: The tensions in the South China Sea are supposed to be between China and the Philippines. But now they also involve a third country, the US. Such interference will only exacerbate and complicate the tensions. Let China and the Philippines solve their own maritime disputes. There is supposed to be a bilateral dialogue mechanism which was established by the two countries in 2017. Yet the current government, headed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is not [properly] using that bilateral dialogue mechanism.

In 2017, China and the Philippines confirmed the establishment of a biannual bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea. Under President Marcos Jr., however, the mechanism has lost its value owing to his strong tendency to use defense alliance with the US in dealing with China at the expense of diplomacy.

GT: As former President Duterte has suggested, the Philippines does not have a quarrel with China. If quarrel comes, it would come because of the Americans.

Tuazon: Former president Duterte is right. He emphatically said that the Americans will not die for Filipinos, if, hypothetically speaking, an armed conflict erupts between China and the Philippines. He believes the Americans prioritize their own national interests, which is now preserving US global hegemony, including in Southeast Asia. Duterte means that if such a conflict arises, the US will leave the Philippines alone, despite existing treaties agreed upon between the two countries.

GT: In a recent op-ed, you wrote that “diplomacy has either been lost or failed under President Marcos Jr. allowing the military to gain ascendance in bilateral relations with China.” Could you elaborate on this view?

Tuazon: Diplomacy is lost and compromised if the military approach, underscored by the assertion of defense alliance between the US and the Philippines, prevails. This was reiterated in Marcos Jr’ first meeting with US President Joe Biden in September 2022, where Biden assured the Philippine president of “ironclad commitment” to the defense of the Philippines. Since 2022, agreements, verbal or written, between the two presidents have been clearly directed against China.

Biden is fortunate to have Marcos Jr. as his tool or stooge in fighting a potential proxy war between China and the Philippines, which the Philippines will lose if that ever happens. But the US will be happy. The US does not want any war with China, it prefers a proxy war that involves the Philippines. This is dangerous. Many Filipinos are not aware that their country is being sold out by the president or it has become a subject of security transaction with the US.

GT: According to your understanding, how do most of Philippine people feel about the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea?

Tuazon: There have been opinion surveys in the past, with the number of responses ranging from about 1,000 to 1,500. Respondents were asked about their views on the ongoing tension between China and the Philippines and if they believe that China has a right to claim the South China Sea. Unfortunately, these surveys were not scientific as they were conducted among Filipinos who were not well-informed about the issue. The responses were not enlightened or based on accurate information.

GT: There is an anti-proxy-war movement in the Philippines. How strong is this campaign?

Tuazon: I cannot quantitatively discuss the quality or power of the voice from the anti-war movement here in the Philippines. The anti-war movement in the Philippines has a long historical root. This movement was complemented by the anti-bases movement in the Philippines since the 1970s when the US maintained major air force and naval bases in the Philippines under the Military Bases Agreement of 1947. Even today, the US still maintains many facilities, using Philippine Armed Forces bases, which have been converted into the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two countries. Under Marcos Jr., the number of bases expanded to nine from just five in 2014, with the new sites proximate to the Taiwan Straits. The US is pushing Taiwan [Island] to make war with China, as it would involve US intervention, despite the fact that such action violates the 1972 Shanghai Communique between China and the US where the latter acknowledged that Taiwan is a part of China.

Philippine people’s sentiment toward the military bases is similar to that in the surveys where many Filipinos believe that those bases are a clear indication of American support to the Philippines’ claim against China over the South China Sea disputes.

So again, that opinion or sentiment is a mirage. It does not spell out the accuracy of the facts on the ground. This is a move to instigate a proxy war between China and the Philippines.

GT: What are the positive aspects for the Philippines to have a better relationship with China?

Tuazon: I’d like to answer that in two points.

First, the Philippine government, whether it’s led by Marcos Jr. or his successor, should utilize the bilateral consultation mechanism established in 2017.

Second, the Marcos Jr. government should recognize the fact that China is most friendly to the Philippines. Until today, and over the past eight years, China has been the Philippines’ largest trading partner, importing a lot from the Philippines, like durian and bananas. Whenever I’m in China, I can always find bananas from the Philippines. That should make the relationship constructive and productive. The two countries should utilize the positive things and allow diplomacy to play its role in resolving disputes effectively.

GT: What do you think is the key to unlock the current tensions in the South China Sea?

Tuazon: I am concerned whether a resolution, short-term or long-term, can be found, for three reasons. One is Marcos Jr. himself, who is a strong hardcore ally of the US. Two, I am concerned with the fact that the Armed Forces of the Philippines, together with the Department of National Defense, are actually instruments of the US due to the historical ties between the two armed forces. I would call the Armed Forces of the Philippines some kind of a surrogate army of the US. It has been a very strong institution in Philippine politics since the 1970s because all presidents that I know of took care of the military by giving them large budgets, making sure that their connections with the US continue. If the presidents do not maintain that, harm may fall on them.

The third reason is that the president can do nothing but support strong Philippine military and US military ties. One of the so-called enticements for this kind of relationship is accepting old ships and old destroyers “donated” by the US that it no longer uses. These are given as “gifts” to the Philippine military, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard. Many Philippine junior officers are given scholarships to train, conduct special training in some US military headquarters, and this is done annually. Another form of training is the yearly joint military exercises between the two forces, which is called “Balikatan” or “shoulder to shoulder.”

I believe the Chinese authorities or the Chinese government should be aware of something. There is no permanent foreign policy in the Philippines, there is no continuity. An example of this is that during the time of the former president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, there was a friendly relationship between the two countries, especially in trade and economic relations. Every six years, the Philippines holds presidential elections. The next one will be in 2028 when Marcos Jr’s term ends. Rumors suggest that the daughter of the former president Duterte may run for the next presidency. Blood is thicker than water. Who knows? She may restore friendly relations with China for another six years.

GT: What experience could the two countries draw from previous friendly periods?

Tuazon: Many Filipinos, I would say 99 percent, forget that at the beginning of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, China was exporting oil and rice to the Philippines at a very low price. This happened during an oil crisis and poor agricultural production in the Philippines.

It’s good that trade relations between the Philippines and China remain normal, serving as a factor to balance the present government’s aggressive foreign policy toward China. It’s sad and ironic to note that while the US gives bullets, powder, cannons and missiles to the Philippines, it has nothing to give in terms of food. Food security in the Philippines is always in danger.

There is a climate crisis. And there are positive things that Marcos Jr. should learn. Instead of learning how to shoot and how to fire, his government should learn from the Chinese government’s approach to fighting climate crisis by developing alternative sources of energy like solar and wind energy, as well as undertaking massive replanting of trees. In China, you can see new trees mushrooming all over the country, which is very inspiring.

GT: Under the current political atmosphere in the Philippines, are you concerned about being labeled pro-China when telling the truth?

Tuazon: As an academic and scholar, I make sure that whatever papers I write are based on objective and rigorous research and analysis. Many Filipinos and foreign scholars share my view – whatever claims the US proffers should be dissected and blatant lies bared. Their underlying motives should be exposed – in the case of the South China Sea and their support for Marcos Jr., their underlying aim is to preserve their regional and global hegemony. Historical facts show that this former colonial master in the Philippines maintains, for instance, their military bases mainly to defend American security interests over and above those of the Philippines.