Beijing draws flak in launching Ideational Power campaign in the Philippines

Photo from Manila Standard

By Chester B Cabalza

Blogger's Notes:
Commentary of an Academic 
(Copyright @ 2020 by Chester B Cabalza. All Rights Reserved).

The viral song of friendship entitled ‘Iisang Dagat’ (One Sea) launched last April 24 in social media by the Chinese embassy in Manila as a dedication to COVID-19 workers in the frontlines in Beijing and Manila drew flak from netizens in a bid to control an escalating political squabbling amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The almost four-minute music video penned by Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian gained collective dislike from Filipinos firing clash of opinions and hate messages than drawing mutual empathy between the two neighbouring nations pitted at each other to patch up diplomatic differences on its naval operability in disputed maritime domains.    

China’s foray into ideational underpinnings, an apex of the current geo-strategic commanding heights struggle to reduce health and medical liabilities from Beijing meant at flattening the plateau of the plague. China’s Communist Party builds a gargantuan aid network that runs a reciprocated soft approach to friendly countries, a possible heed of exemplary action to Xi Jinping’s commandments of exporting equipment and expertise on COVID-19. 

The arrival of Chinese specialists on respiratory and infectious diseases last April 5, led by Weng Shangeng, while on medical mission diplomatically applauded the Philippines’ positive, proactive, and effective measures in containing the deadly virus that originated from Hubei province. It complimented Filipino medics’ professionalism and dedication in high rescue success rate, however, maintained further attention in refining detection capacity and epidemic prevention supplies during the exchange of medical experiences.  

Filipinos’ distrust in Beijing rose last November 2019, a month before the coronavirus pandemic spread out of Wuhan, relative to the opposing stand of PLAN in the contested islands claimed by the Philippines. The recently uploaded propaganda music video that promotes co-existence and good neighbourliness stirred another heavy sentiment among Filipinos in dealing with China’s perceived intimidation and collateral damage as the Philippines grieves for the loss of frontline medical workers and other patients who succumbed from COVID-19.  

Confusion on Chinese schizophrenic behaviour over kind clinical extension program on COVID-19 and aggressive military expansion outlook in the South China Sea overlaps the ideational power campaign launched by China in a capacity to champion the Philippines and submit into a condescending cognitive validity or normative value that strongly adheres to Chinese worldview.  

The assertive solidarity expression made by the Philippines and Vietnam last April 8 against China’s standard operating procedures in virtually patrolling all the claimed maritime domains in the South China Sea led to the recent tactical ramming and sinking of Vietnamese fishing boat by Chinese white ship amid the pandemic. Both Southeast Asian nations experienced similar intimidation and coercion by a major naval power in the region.        

On April 23, a warship from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) threatened a gun-fire at Philippine Navy (PN) ship near Commodore reef in the Philippine-occupied West Philippine Sea. Another maritime commotion occurred last February 17 between the PLAN and PN in a routine maritime patrol when a Chinese corvette relayed an obstinate response transmitted through radio waves about China’s sovereignty rights in the contested waters.