Transcription
Out on the open sea, someone had put together the world's most wobbly karaoke.
"Come on, start singing."
What you just watched is a propaganda video produced by the Chinese Communist Party. So, this is clearly targeting your Western audience. And the key message here in the video is that the monkey, unfortunately, that's a racist depiction of the Filipino people. They're trying to convince the viewers that the Philippines is nothing more than a US puppet in this South China Sea conflict.
"We attempt to bypass China and initiate the so-called maritime delimitation talks."
"Wrong song. Stupid monkey. We gave you the other lyrics."
"Here it is."
"Oh, for goodness sake. Wait, this wasn't in the script." [screaming] [groaning] "More litter that too. Let's all do our part to keep the ocean clean."
This is not a new tactic. They've been calling international allies of the United States a puppet for as long as I can remember. Canada has been called a US puppet when we legally deta Moana Joe. Anyways, this is the same move and it's meant to discredit and shame your very welldeserved position on a specific issue. This video is meant to be funny. And if you are drinking the America is all bad, it's the source of all evil kind of Kool-Aid, this probably appeals to you. And that's exactly what they're trying to achieve here.
Hello there, my name is Lou. Welcome to my channel. The South China Sea is a massive resourcerich body of water between China and several neighboring countries. and China claims almost all of it using [music] a boundary it drew back in 1947 called the 9- line. The problem with that line is [music] it is not recognized under international law and it cuts right through the water of China's neighboring countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Just to show you how ridiculous China's claim is, this is the border of the Philippines. This is very close as you can see here. So in 2016, the Philippines took China to an international tribunal court and obviously the Philippines rightfully won the case. It basically says China has no case, no legal basis claiming those territories. And it's the same ruling [music] that the Chinese Communist Party called a wasted piece of paper is an editorial published by the state media of the Chinese Communist Party. And this month marks the 10th anniversary of that ruling.
"Both we Vietnam and Malaysia have differences with China in South China Sea. Yet both countries have effectively managed these differences with China. So my question is why can't the Philippines do the same?"
I don't want to say that this question itself is not stupid. It's actually the smartest version of the argument. The fact is Vietnam and Malaysia do manage this conflict very differently. The problem with that argument though is that you're basically saying by being quiet or maybe being polite with the wolves, they won't want to eat you live. And the facts are a different approach, a quieter approach didn't really do Vietnam or Malaysia any good.
"Thank you for the propaganda spills disguised as questions. Let us not forget that while we are members of Assan, we are sovereign countries, each with its own territorial integrity and sovereignty. And I am sure that if what China is doing to the Philippines is done to Malaysia or to any Assean country, you would see a different reaction. I hope I have answered the propaganda to the satisfaction of everyone in this room."
So growing up I was always taught that since ancient times this South China Sea is part of the PRC and this is still an argument that the Chinese Communist Party is using to kind of support its argument its claim over the territory. You know, you often hear the argument that China is fundamentally different from the rest of the world or the democracies. I think this is an example of that. How they view the word sovereignty is very different. It's fundamentally different. They don't think it's up to you. They think it's up to what happened in the past. And it's a very authoritarian ancient emperor way of thinking. They think of all of these territories without considering the will of the people living there, without considering a democratic process.
Xiaoing told the UN General Assembly, and I quote, that China is not a superpower, nor will she ever seek to be one," unquote. Over half a century later, it is evident that the Chinese government did not honor Deng Xiaoing's commitment. In Chinese there is this word called literally this means hide your light nurture obscurity. Sometimes translated as hide your strength by your time. The dictators in China at the time believed that it was not the time for them to show their true color and their true ambition to the rest of the world. So the best thing for them to do at the time was hide their strength. It was never a goodwill and honest promise. In fact, behind closed doors, it was teaching its children, students, myself included, that the number one mission for us as a nation is to revive the great international status of the PRC. The status that they were referring to is when ancient China, when we had emperors and slavery, we were dominating the world. I think in the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, there's always a continuity of this regime. It doesn't separate. It doesn't stop when the modern time starts.
on the West Philippine Sea is not a function of Sinoamerican strategic rivalry. Instead, it is caused, no doubt, by the overreach of the Chinese Communist Party, of which the most glaring evidence is the 9, 10, or 11- line that [laughter] has absolutely no basis in international law. Instead of honoring their obligations under UN clause, the PRC exhorts the Philippines to quote, "Return to the path of negotiations," unquote. This reflects what retired Indian foreign secretary VJ Gokale describes in his recently published book China Wars as a quote talk and take strategy unquote in the context of the South China Sea. The author wrote, and I quote, "The diplomacy gives the impression of restraint and a commitment to a peaceful negotiation even as the ground realities are fundamentally altered," unquote. This is consistent with a pattern of behavior that we have seen exercised against the Philippines. for the PRC. Therefore, in the Philippine experience, negotiations are not a path to conflict resolution, but a means of gaining advantage. And we must we will not be deceased in the face of these challenges.
Just like any communist dictator, right? They don't come to you with gongs and aggression. and they come to you with a promise that sounds so peaceful. When they want to quietly take over your land, they don't say that. They say the opposite. They say that let's return to the path of negotiation. When they try to get you to forego your rights, your private ownership, they tell you this is for your own good. This is for the elimination of inequality. It just sounds so good and deceiving. And so he's saying here, we will not be deceived because we've seen this. And negotiation is really just coercion.
Diplomacy is extremely important, but it cannot on its own keep pace with the rapid changes in the world order, which allow some actors to exploit. We've seen this played out so many times. You have China claiming a northern province of the Philippines is part of China because it's an extension of Taiwan. As ridiculous as it sounds, I think this tells you that if China takes Taiwan one day, it will not stop.