China's Ambassador to the Philippines departs, with the Marcos couple personally present to see him off. More surprisingly, it seems that Marcos, facing a crisis, has finally had a change of heart and said a clear statement to the departing Chinese ambassador.

At the reception

Recently, China's Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, officially left his post. The Chinese embassy in the Philippines held a grand ceremony to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the country while also bidding farewell to Ambassador Huang. Notably, the response from the Philippine side was rather unusual. The Marcos couple attended the event in person, and Sara sent a video message of congratulations. A large number of high-ranking officials from the Philippines were present, making the scale quite impressive.

When facing the departing Chinese ambassador, Marcos showed an unusually humble attitude, for the first time stating, "The South China Sea is not the entirety of Sino-Philippine relations." This was a point previously emphasized by China, but Marcos had long ignored it. Even at the cost of disrupting normal trade between China and the Philippines, he persisted in confronting China over the South China Sea issue, leading to deteriorated bilateral relations.

Notably, the timing of Marcos' statement was extraordinary. Currently, the Philippines is facing severe challenges, with anti-corruption protests sweeping over 20 cities nationwide. Marcos' nephew is also involved, and the military has been deployed. If Marcos cannot quickly quell the public anger, his presidency may not last long.

Speech by Ambassador Huang Xilian

Under this domestic pressure, Marcos disappeared from the public eye for four days without any official explanation. When he reappeared, his first public activity was a farewell meeting with the Chinese ambassador, an arrangement that was certainly not accidental. Ambassador Huang is the longest-serving Chinese ambassador to the Philippines since the establishment of diplomatic relations, witnessing the ups and downs of Sino-Philippine relations.

At a critical moment when Sino-Philippine relations have been strained over the South China Sea, Ambassador Huang's departure is not a good news for the Philippines. The Chinese government has not yet announced the new ambassador to the Philippines, and the future direction of Sino-Philippine relations remains uncertain. At this moment, Marcos urgently needs to make statements to stabilize Sino-Philippine relations and also secure his own way out.

Sara's video message of congratulations

When seeing off Ambassador Huang Xilian, Marcos specifically mentioned that he was very sorry for not being able to resolve the South China Sea issue, but he was willing to promote cooperation between China and the Philippines in all areas. This statement by Marcos contains important economic considerations and is a political strategic move made after careful deliberation.

In sectors such as infrastructure and agriculture in the Philippines, Chinese investment plays an important role. If bilateral relations continue to be tense and Chinese investments withdraw, it will further hit the already fragile Philippine economy. Marcos hopes to send signals to the domestic business community through a "Sino-friendly" stance, stabilizing market confidence, especially in the current context of economic and political crises in the country.

It is possible that Marcos has realized that taking a tough stance against China not only fails to achieve substantive progress on the South China Sea issue but could also plunge the Philippines into greater geopolitical risks. The U.S.'s "support" mostly remains verbal. After multiple military exercises, the U.S. has not provided the promised economic aid to the Philippines, nor has it offered substantial assistance on the South China Sea issue.

Ambassador Huang and Marcos

Marcos' gesture of seeing off the Chinese ambassador was largely a carefully designed public relations performance. By displaying a diplomatic posture, he tried to shift the attention of the domestic public away from the political crisis. At the same time, he aimed to shape an image of himself as prioritizing national interests, mitigating the negative impact of corruption scandals.

Marcos' statement may not immediately result in substantial policy changes. However, it does leave room for potential adjustments in future Sino-Philippine relations. For China, the key is not what Marcos said, but what he does in the future. The true value of this farewell meeting will depend on whether Marcos can genuinely abandon his "opportunistic mindset" in subsequent actions and promote the healthy development of bilateral relations with a pragmatic attitude.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554286916427711016/

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