China's renowned table tennis athlete Fan Zhendong clinched the men's singles gold medal with a 4-1 victory over Sweden's Truls Möregårdh at the Paris Games. Following his triumph, the well-known Taylor Swift fan shared the track "The Alchemy" from Swift's album The Tortured Poets Department on his personal Sina Weibo account, captioning it with, "Finally touch down."
Fan's post quickly gained a following, and by Tuesday, "The Alchemy" had soared to the top of China's popular streaming platform QQ Music's peak surge chart. Many comments under the song noted that Fan's endorsement had drawn them in, while others extended their congratulations and support to the athlete.
Apart from his outstanding table tennis skills, Fan is also widely recognized as a devoted Taylor Swift fan. He frequently shares Swift's lyrics or songs on Weibo.
Ahead of the finals, a hashtag created by fans, "I'm Taylor Swift; I cheer for Fan Zhendong," had garnered over 100 million views as of Tuesday on Weibo. Some netizens created montages of his past matches set to Swift's music, and some even designed posters of Fan's various matches styled like Swift's "The Eras Tour" to support him. In March, a viral video on social media showed him singing along to "Cruel Summer" at Swift's Singaporean concert, just days before competing at the World Table Tennis Singapore Smash. In the competition, he suffered a 1-3 upset by 18-year-old compatriot Lin Shidong. Some questioned whether attending the concert impacted his training.
Following the match, Fan posted on Weibo to defend himself, "Music knows no borders. Great musicians like Taylor Swift bring healing and confidence. I hope more people can open their hearts to this charm."
"On the court, I am an athlete trained by the country, striving for national glory for over a decade. Off the court, in my limited personal time, I am just an ordinary young man with normal hobbies and relationships… I was screaming 'long live all the magic we made, and bring on all the pretenders, one day we will be remembered,'" he wrote, quoting the lyrics of Swift's song "Long Live."
Accompanying this post was a nearly five-minute vlog in which Fan is seen wearing a cap with the word "Reputation," which is also the sixth album from Swift, carrying a Swift tote bag, and wearing "friendship bracelets."
In Swift's hit song "You're On Your Own, Kid" on the 2022 album Midnights, Swift wrote "make the friendship bracelets, take a moment and taste it." The lyrics have inspired a trend among Swifties, the nickname of Swift's fans, to trade bracelets with each other at her concerts.
In response to the accidental breaking of his racket after the table tennis mixed doubles final at Paris Olympics, Chinese table tennis player Wang Chuqin spoke out in a live-stream on Tuesday, admitting that he felt a mix of anger and helplessness at that moment, but the incident did not contribute to his later loss in the men's singles.
"When my racket broke, I was really upset and felt a bit angry and helpless. We had just won the championship and were celebrating when it happened. That racket had seen me through many championships, and even though there isn't much difference between the new and old one, it was a source of comfort for me," Wang recalled. "But the singles loss was mainly due to my own performance, not the broken racket."
Wang also discussed the physical and mental toll of competing in multiple events - mixed doubles, singles and team - at the Olympics, noting that it was more challenging than he had anticipated.
"I've played in all three events before, but the physical and mental exhaustion from the Olympics was beyond anything I had ever experienced. I couldn't recover in time, and the fatigue affected my ability to perform at a hundred percent," Wang said.
During the mixed doubles final on July 30, Wang and his partner Sun Yingsha clinched the gold medal by defeating the North Korean pair Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong. However, during the post-match photo session, a journalist stepped on Wang's racket, breaking it.
Despite the incident, Wang maintained in a post-match interview that the incident was unintentional and that he could still perform well with his backup racket. Unfortunately, he lost in the men's singles event the following day.
Both Wang and Sun, along with their coaches Xiao Zhan and Qiu Yike, have since addressed several key points in recent live-streams.
Reflecting on the mixed doubles final, Sun explained her decision to take a memorable photo with the athletes from North Korea and South Korea, saying, "The Olympics only come around once every four years, and no one knows what the next four years will bring. I wanted to capture this beautiful moment."
Sun shared her feelings about participating in the Olympic closing ceremony, where she had the honor of representing Asia in blowing out the Olympic Flame and she expressed deep gratitude to her coach, Qiu, for his support throughout the experience.
Looking ahead, Sun plans to take some time off to recover before gradually preparing for upcoming competitions.
"It's still a bit early to think about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics or whether I'll be competing there. It's four years away, but as long as I remain determined and continue chasing my dreams, I believe I can compete in Los Angeles," Sun said.
Wang's colorful headband, which caught the attention of many spectators, was also addressed during the livestream. He explained that the headband was worn to absorb sweat and prevent it from affecting his grip, not as a way of acting cool. He clarified that the colors don't have any special meaning, except for red, which represents Team China.
Swedish player Kristian Karlsson once described Wang: "He's funny, open and speaks good English" in an interview with Swedish Newspaper Sportbladet. Wang responded modestly, admitting that his English isn't that good, but he can manage a few sentences.
"We were all preparing in the same place and have faced each other many times, so I frequently interacted with players from other countries during the Olympics," Wang said.
While the US continues to make accusations that the so-called “China state-sponsored cyber actor,” or “Volt Typhoon” remains active, an Australian expert wrote in an article that the US has failed to provide credible evidence to support its claims. The expert argues that these accusations serve as a smokescreen to divert attention from the US hegemon's extensive and unparalleled global surveillance apparatus. Experts said that the US’ false narrative about China has even raised concerns among certain groups in Western countries.
During a hacking conference in Las Vegas from August 8 to August 11, some US experts and US officials continued to hype the Volt Typhoon issue. For example, Sherrod DeGrippo, director of threat intelligence strategy at Microsoft, said that “Volt Typhoon is active to this day… Have they stopped? Absolutely not. Will they stop? Doubt it,” according to media reports.
On Thursday, Kari McKern, a retired career public servant, librarian and IT specialist who lives in Sydney, Australia, published an article titled “The geopolitics of cyber espionage” on an Australian platform named “Pearls and Irritations,” in which she noted that the “Volt Typhoon” threat was mostly a work of fiction, crafted by US intelligence agencies to win public support and pressure policymakers to allow the extension of invasive US surveillance powers.
McKern said that the timing of the Volt Typhoon announcement coincided with the debates over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 reauthorization. The actual goal of the announcement was more to influence the debate in favor of preserving surveillance powers, as the US Congress deliberated renewing the controversial Section 702.
This provision allows US agencies to collect data on foreign targets without warrants, inevitably capturing the communications of millions of American citizens. As the expiration of Section 702 loomed, Western media outlets began amplifying claims from the FBI and NSA about an imminent “Chinese hacking” threat, spinning tales of Volt Typhoon infiltrating critical infrastructure, according to McKern.
“The message was clear: renew broad spying powers or leave the nation vulnerable to a devious Chinese plot,” McKern wrote in the article.
McKern also wrote in her article that information in the public arena supports the Chinese claim that the US has constructed a formidable “hacker empire,” using its technological prowess to spy on adversaries and allies alike.
Rather than repeat the folly of the Cold War with an arms race in cyberspace, it is imperative to approach cybersecurity with a balanced view, recognizing that the real threats to global cyber stability often come from those accusing others of misdeeds, said McKern.
At the end of the article, she said that the international community must demand transparency and accountability from all nations, including the United States, to ensure a secure and cooperative cyberspace. “Only through mutual understanding and respect for national sovereignty can we hope to achieve lasting peace and security in the digital age.”
Some foreign experts, based on their understanding of US cyber behavior and professional knowledge, also have a correct judgment of the "Volt Typhoon" false narrative. "The global cyber espionage activities exposed by Snowden and Assange have already caused the US to lose its credibility in the field of cybersecurity," Zhuo Hua, an international affairs expert at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy of Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.
McKern’s article showed that the US’ false narrative about China has raised concerns among certain groups in Western countries. If the US wants to continue creating a narrative targeting China, it will become increasingly difficult for the US,” said Zhuo.
China's Ministry of Civil Affairs recently released the revised draft of regulation on marriage registration for public comment. The revised content includes an individual's household register not being required and no regional restrictions for marriage registration, which experts believe will streamline the process and help build a family friendly society.
The public can submit their feedback before September 11, according to the civil affairs ministry.
The revised draft points out that the regulation is formulated based on Civil Code of the People's Republic of China and other laws. According to the draft, the country will enhance information-based marriage management, improve the national marriage information database, and establish an information-sharing mechanism to ensure that marriage data is timely, accurate, complete, and secure.
In comparison to the original regulation on marriage registration issued in 2003, the draft removes the requirement to present a household register during marriage registration.
There will no longer be regional restrictions for registration, with the original regulation requiring that it should be handled at the household registration location of the parties involved.
Jiang Quanbao, a professor from the Institute for Population and Development Studies at Xi'an Jiaotong University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the original regulation has been implemented for more than 20 years, which requires revision and updating in face of changing social habits.
The draft standardizes marriage registration, safeguards marriage freedom and equality, and helps build a family friendly society in many aspects including simplified procedures, said Jiang.
The draft calls for marriage registration authorities to provide marriage and family counseling services, fully leverage the expertise of professionals, and guide the parties involved in marriage to establish equal, harmonious, and civilized marital and family relationships.
Jiang said that this also helps enhance its service function, giving marriages with potential for reconciliation another chance to be saved, and helping to prevent impulsive divorces.
In the chapter on divorce registration, the draft further elaborates on the cooling-off period for divorce, stating that within 30 days from the date the authority receives the divorce registration application, if either party is unwilling to divorce, they may withdraw the divorce registration application. Then the marriage registration authority shall terminate the divorce registration process.
The regulation aims to "promote the importance of marriage and family," reduce impulsive divorces, and uphold social stability, and better protect legitimate rights of the parties involved, according to Jiang.
If one party is coerced into marriage, the coerced party can request cancellation of the marriage according to law. If one party has a serious illness, they should truthfully inform the other party before the marriage registration; if they do not truthfully inform the other party, the other party can request termination of the marriage, the draft details.
China's local authorities have implemented multiple measures to establish a family friendly society over recent years, such as creating traditional Chinese group wedding ceremony for young couples, implementing cross-regional marriage and divorce registration pilot policy.
According to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 3.43 million couples in China registered for marriage in the first half of this year, down by 498,000 couples during the same period from 2023.
Multiple types of drones were deployed in recent exercises by multiple militia units across China, as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) become a key part of various Chinese military and police services and branches, observers said on Monday.
In a move to better integrate UAVs into the nation's militia forces, multiple militia units across the country have used drones during exercises, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.
During a recent militia exercise held in East China's Jiangxi Province simulating a combat mission, a militia detachment focused on practicing joint operations and dealing with emergency situations, including training courses such as supplies loading and reconnaissance using drones, according to the report.
A recent military event in Southwest China's Guizhou Province organized a tactical deployment exercise and an emergency rescue exercise using drones, as militia units used drones and demolition robots to conduct search and rescues across a mock rescue area to identify and rescue trapped personnel.
In East China's Anhui Province, militia troops recently carried out a real-world troop confrontation exercise. They mobilized across regions and provided emergency communications support to a brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) using various new equipment, including drones.
"We closely focused on fields including specialists, cutting-edge technologies and advanced equipment throughout the exercise, running drills that include the public to hone combat capabilities," Bo Tao, a militia officer who participated in the exercise in Anhui, said in the CCTV report.
According to CCTV, drones featured in these militia exercises are mostly multirotor, vertical takeoff and landing UAVs of different sizes. Observers said that smaller ones can be operated by individual soldiers for reconnaissance missions, while larger ones can be helpful with transport or communications relay missions.
With drones demonstrating reconnaissance and combat applications in recent conflicts around the world, and China having complete industrial chains of developing and producing drones, military and police services and branches including militia have started to use them, practice with them and develop tactics with them, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday.
The PLA have deployed drones and robot dogs in multiple joint exercises with foreign countries this year, while the Chinese police also used these unmanned gears in a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation joint anti-terrorism drill last month.
According to the expert, drones are increasingly becoming standard equipment for infantry units, much like their firearms.
The US and Australia are expected to hold the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), with the participation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles, in Annapolis, Maryland on Tuesday.
Observers warned further military cooperation between the US and Australia would expand US hegemony in the region and exacerbate geopolitical confrontation.
Ahead of AUSMIN, Austin met Marles at the Pentagon to discuss the historic military-to-military progress between the two nations, the US defense department said on Monday local time. Austin hailed the achievement in their defense industrial cooperation and expanding efforts with their allies and partners.
Australia is involved in the US strategy to contain China in the Indo-Pacific region and the US has long been hoping that Australia will fully commit to the US strategy, Yu Lei, a professor at Shandong University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The US is likely to provide assistance to Australia within the scope of its own technology, equipment and technology, experts said.
In the field of security, the two countries may further discuss joint efforts to undermine the equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Pacific Island countries, Yu warned.
Also on security, a remote Australian archipelago, the Cocos Islands, is on a list of possible locations for US military construction aimed at deterring China, according to Reuters.
The Cocos Islands is reportedly listed along with the Philippines, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea for anticipated construction projects under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, designed to enhance US force posture and infrastructure to counter China, Reuters reported.
Australia's diplomacy and security strategy have a certain degree of autonomy, but this does not entirely indicate that Australia will completely deviate from the orbit of the US, observers noted.
From what we have seen so far, the Australian government has shown prudence and political wisdom in dealing with its relations with China, demonstrating a relatively flexible posture, said Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University. He warned that Australia should realize that being used by the US and serving its Indo-Pacific strategy will only exacerbate geopolitical confrontation, rather than benefit its own security.
"Foxconn 'returns' to Chinese mainland." The Hong Kong-based Chinese-language newsweekly Yazhou Zhoukan recently reported, under this theme, about Foxconn's announcement in late July to invest 1 billion yuan ($139 million) in the construction of a new business headquarters building in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province, and that Apple's new iPhone 16 series will still be assembled in China. In fact, even before this report was published, news about "Foxconn and Apple 'coming back'" had been circulating among the insiders. Nothing better represents a company's optimism about a country's economic prospects than real investment. Foxconn's increased investment is a powerful response to "de-Chinaization" of the supply chain and a vote of confidence in the Chinese mainland's business environment.
The previous saying that "Foxconn has left" came largely from the hype of Western media. As multinational companies, it is normal for Apple and Foxconn to make some local adjustments due to changes in global business planning and comparative advantages. Foxconn Chairman Young Liu once said bluntly that having two or more suppliers in any sizable industry is quite normal. He also denied Foxconn's "relocation" to a reporter from the Global Times. When Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China in March this year, he also said that "there's no supply chain in the world that's more critical to us than China." According to the supply chain list released by Apple in April this year, there were 155 factories in the Chinese mainland in the 2023 fiscal year, ranking first in absolute terms. Since they never really "left," how can they "return?"
The discussion surrounding Foxconn's "return" is not so much a matter of reality as it is a game surrounding China's economic confidence. Apple, as the "owner" of the supply chain, and Foxconn, Apple's largest manufacturers, have played an important role in the development of China's mid-to-high-end manufacturing industry represented by mobile phones. Their trends have a certain influence as a weathervane on public opinion.
If you closely examine the previous hype about "Foxconn leaving," you'll find that a lot of things were taken out of context and misinterpreted. For example, Bloomberg claimed that "China's position as factory to the world has shifted from being a win-win for clients and suppliers to a massive risk." Except for those with a "Cold War" mentality, who would consider China's industrial chain and consumer market a "risk?" Isn't that ridiculous? The goal is to support the need of Western politics to "decouple and cut ties" with China and to create buzz for the narratives of "China's economic collapse" and "economic peak."
Why has China been able to attract the most manufacturing investment globally over several decades and develop into the world's leading manufacturing country? The reason is that starting from light industry, China's manufacturing has gradually climbed to the peak of high-end manufacturing, building a complete industrial and supply chain in the process.
China possesses all industrial categories classified by the United Nations, added with an enormous market, a large team of engineers and skilled workers, and crucial yet often overlooked factors such as an efficient and proactive government, a stable social environment, and the honest and hardworking nature of the Chinese people. These software and hardware conditions together form the advantages and resilience of Chinese manufacturing, which no one can take away or deny. These advantages will become increasingly prominent as China continues its economic upgrade and transformation.
Foxconn is a microcosm of sustained confidence from multinational companies in Chinese manufacturing. According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce, the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises nationwide increased by 14.2 percent year-on-year to 26,870 from January to June 2024. Among them, the actual use of foreign capital in the manufacturing industry increased to 28.4 percent of the national total, while the proportion of actual use of foreign capital in high-tech manufacturing increased to 12.8 percent. In the future, more multinational companies will hop on the "express train" of China's development, which is the general trend. The so-called "decoupling" and "de-risking" is a dead end. Regardless of whether specific companies are going out or coming in, we will focus on steadfastly promoting reform and opening-up and continuously creating a world-class business environment. The next "China" will still be China.
Experts forecast that multiple cities in China will experience extended period of extreme heat in August, with authorities proactively taking measures such as turning off display lights to address challenges posed by peak electricity consumption.
With blistering heat set to once again descend over China, Jia Xiaolong, deputy director from China's National Climate Center (NCC), suggested that the relevant authorities should be ready to make preparations for the energy supply during peak period for electricity consumption, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province has implemented measures such as pausing non-essential landscape lighting and suspending light shows from Monday to Friday to manage the power load during the ongoing extreme heat wave, local authorities announced on Tuesday.
The West Lake, a famed attraction located in Hangzhou, will temporarily suspend the power-generating musical fountains from August 6 to August 9, the site's management department said on Tuesday.
According to the State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co Ltd, the average household electricity consumption of Hangzhou residents in July totaled 549 kilowatt-hours (kWh), ranking first in the province, with 57 percent of the households doubling their electricity consumption from the previous month.
In July, Shanghai authorities released an electricity proposal, prioritizing household energy consumption, essential projects and business activities which support critical services.
A district in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality requested merchants to turn off their electronic advertising billboards from 12 pm to 8 am, suggesting that outdoor digital advertisings should be switched off or keep a low light level, an official from the local government announced in July.
East China's Jiangxi Province urged officials to avoid working with lights turned on during daytime or when offices are unoccupied and leaving the lights on all the time, according to an electricity conservation initiative issued by the local government.
Electricity conservation measures put in place by East China's Anhui Province suggested public institutions to act as standard bearers, such as setting the office air-conditioning higher than 26 C, suspending elevator access to low floors. Also, industrial enterprises are expected to voluntarily carry out staggered schedule for power use to minimize energy consumption and costs.
It is expected that in the first half of August, China will see two periods of extreme heat, of which August 3 to 7 searing heats in southern China will be featured by a wide range and high intensity. Temperatures in cities of East China's provinces, including Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jiangxi will reach 39 C to 42 C, Jia told Xinhua.
During the Paris Olympics, a Spanish journalist carried and praised a Chinese-made backpack with the Beijing Olympics logo as "the best bag ever" for its exceptional quality. The endorsement sparked a surge in orders for the backpack, again highlighting the global recognition of Made-in-China products through the Olympic spotlight.
"Our company attracted more than 2 million viewers at our live-streaming site on Douyin.com within 18 hours, resulting in total sales of the backpack exceeding 3 million yuan ($419,720), Chen Haining, the manager of Xiangxing Group, the producer of the backpack, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Chen added that the total sales of the backpack surpassed 5 million yuan within two days of live streaming, and the company's Douyin account has swelled with new fans, with the number of the new followers hitting 700,000 within three days, and going on to exceed 800,000 as of Tuesday.
This backpack was designed for media use during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Since then, the backpack was spotted during many international events carried by international journalists.
The Spanish journalist said he has been using the China-made backpack since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games for 16 years, according to a report by China News Service on July 25.
Chen said that the backpack was specifically designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, utilizing advanced technologies of that time to ensure durability and strength, but the backpack cannot be reproduced using the Olympic logo due to copyright issues.
The upgraded version of the backpack, priced at around 100 yuan, is now available and quickly sold out upon release. Other similar products made in China are also in high demand.
The backpack has attracted widespread attention from both domestic and international media in recent days, and its "high-quality" has become a popular description for Chinese-made products at this year's Paris Olympics, market watchers noted.
The success of Made-in-China products in drawing consumers at the Paris Olympic Games lies in a combination of high quality and sharp market insight, Liang Zhenpeng, a senior industry analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
"Seizing such opportunities requires genuine quality, and the market recognition could benefit the company's future market expansion abroad," he said.
"Our team discovered that a foreign journalist mentioned this backpack in a China-related media report, and our company chairman shared the news online, encouraging us to respond proactively," Chen said, "I felt both excited and proud."
"We swiftly formed teams to handle the increased traffic generated by the Paris Olympic Games. During the past few days, our workers are motivated to create enough buzz that resonate with consumers," Chen told the Global Times.
When Manila hypes up so-called Chinese aggression, the Philippine people hold a different view. "China, like most of us Asian nations, are peaceful people. China did not invade us. China did not kill our ancestors. China did not impose their culture on us. China did not force us to speak their language. China did not meddle in our internal politics. But the United States did," wrote Jun Abines (Abines) , a Philippine political commentator. Why does he believe this? What experience could the two countries draw from previous friendly periods? Abines shared his views with Global Times (GT) reporter Li Aixin.
GT: Why do you believe China is peaceful?
Abines: More than 10 years ago, I was anti-China because of what I heard from TV, newspapers, and radio. The Philippines had a strong anti-China campaign for three decades. However, in 2014, while running a construction business, I met a client from the Chinese mainland named Mr. Qin. He noticed my criticism of China during discussions about China-Philippines relations amid tension in the South China Sea under President Benigno Aquino III. Mr. Qin invited me to visit China, specifically Guangzhou. That tour changed my perspective. From the moment we landed in Hong Kong and drove four hours to Guangzhou, I saw a China that was very different from what the media portrayed. During my 12-day stay in Guangzhou, I observed it was like Europe: safe, modern, and highly progressive.
I started researching more, and that's how my perspective changed on China. The more I dug into it, the more I realized that China, like the Philippines, has been invaded and bullied. China has actually helped fellow Asian countries that were invaded by the US.
In the last 500 years of history, most of the worst conflicts in the world have not involved China; it's mostly been Western countries. So, I am 100 percent convinced that China is a peaceful country. The narrative in the Philippines that China will invade us is a joke, because history itself will tell that Chinese people are peaceful. They love business and trade.
GT: You also mentioned, "The West and the US already invaded us."
Abines: In 1898, the US came to the Philippines with deception. They said they would assist us in fighting the Spanish, and the Filipino rebellion against the Spanish government welcomed US troops. It was later revealed that Spain had already sold the Philippines to the US for $20 million, deceiving us during their first invasion.
Now, American troops are back, claiming they will enter our country again to help us fight China and be our friends in humanitarian and disaster response. However, look at what happened in Metro Manila recently - the flooding. No American forces were seen in the area offering aid. The rhetoric - the US trying to help - was a lie. We were deceived again.
The US claims it needs nine bases throughout the Philippines. What is their purpose, and why are these bases located in cities full of civilians?
Before the US' return to the Philippines, the world already knew that the US' objective in Southeast Asia is to contain China. This is common knowledge. I think more than 50 percent of Filipinos know this, but most media outlets are silent now, and people like me are being silenced. Many of us face bans or deletions on social media. Our articles are hard to circulate because they want to prevent the truth from coming out.
People like me who are raising our voices are not doing this for anyone else but ourselves. Many Filipinos understand that inviting US forces to the Philippines will only bring trouble and chaos.
GT: In Cebu City, where you live, there is the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, which is one of the bases the Philippines is offering the US access to. How do local people feel about the US military presence?
Abines: There's already a movement. Months ago, I saw a rally here advocating against a proxy war. There's a group saying that they oppose war. When interviewed by local media, they said, "We don't want to be the next Ukraine."
Another local group - No to Proxy War - conveyed that we Filipinos understand the US' objective is to contain China, and we don't want to be used as a proxy. We see the dangers ahead on that path. We want US forces to leave the Philippines and let us manage our own country, so we can progress economically. For too long, the Philippines has been poor due to bullying and economic policies dictated by Western countries, especially the US.
GT: After China and the Philippines recently reached a temporary arrangement on managing the situation of Ren'ai Jiao, the Philippine administration quickly reversed its position. How do you interpret Manila's flip-flopping on this hard-won consensus?
Abines: It has been this pattern over the past 12 months. Our current administration lacks a clear stance on peace. We notice this double talk on our side. President Marcos is saying two conflicting things at the same time. He said he wants peace, but his actions don't support it.
Additionally, there are too many spokespersons on the Philippine side. Unfortunately, many will accuse me of being a traitor for saying this - I believe the truth is that the Marcos administration is very incompetent and is primarily serving US interests. If they truly prioritized the Filipino people's interests, they would wholeheartedly go for peace and diplomacy.
It seems that the Marcos administration is aiming to please a master. While their master is supposed to be the Filipino people, they appear to be serving the US instead. Their actions align with what the US dictates. That's why we are very restless in the Philippines because we've seen so much incompetence and abandonment of Filipino welfare.
The Filipinos desire independence for the Philippines from the US. We seek progress, and the path to progress lies in fostering friendship with China, other ASEAN nations, and the US, but not in being a puppet of the US. If we continue to follow Marcos' actions, progress will elude the Philippines.
GT: What are the positive aspects for the Philippines in having better ties with China? And what experiences could the two countries draw from previous friendly periods?
Abines: During his six years in office, former president Rodrigo Duterte adopted a neutral foreign policy and fostered friendly relations with China, which proved to be the best thing that happened to us economically. From 2016 to 2020, we witnessed significant economic growth and progress in our country.
This serves as a prime example of the benefits of an independent foreign policy and maintaining an open mind toward a pro-Asia perspective. This approach is crucial for ASEAN countries, especially the Philippines, to promoting regional peace.
The lesson we can learn from the past period is to set aside differences. The South China Sea is disputed by at least five Asian countries. We should focus on prioritizing what both sides truly need: trade, progress, peace, and order. China, now an economic superpower with advanced technology, presents significant benefits for the Philippines. For a long time, the Philippines was deprived of technology and investment from Western countries, whom we call friends.
There's a lot of hypocrisy in our friendship with the West, as we often hear and read in the news that they claim to be our friends.
But whenever we try to improve our economy, they oppose us. They dictate what we can or cannot do, hindering our progress. For instance, we need nuclear power plants, but they oppose it. We also need to resolve our insurgency problem, but the US doesn't want that to happen. This illustrates the irony of our Western friends. When we apply for visas to the US, about 90 percent of applications are denied. They view Filipinos as mere sources of cheap labor and we cannot enter the US and Europe without showing a lot of money. They think most Filipinos are bad guys. We are not welcome in their country. This is the worst friendship.
The more I dig about our relationship with the West and the more I try to understand our relationship with China, the more I see hypocrisy from the West and sincerity from China.
Most Filipinos truly want peace in the South China Sea and throughout Southeast Asia. During the previous administration, we were very happy. Our economy was growing, and numerous infrastructure projects were underway. We had a strong relationship with China, and the Chinese government funded many projects in the Philippines. However, over the past two years, this progress has halted.
We're frustrated that our mainstream media outlets only focus on negative news involving China, when we could benefit greatly from fostering friendship with, understanding, and embracing China as well as other Asian countries as brothers. That should be our case. But right now, we are disappointed by the fact that we have an administration in the Philippines that is a US puppet, which disgusts me personally. I think many Filipinos share my sentiment.
