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| People browse ornaments in China town in Manila on Feb 8, 2013. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE) |
HONG KONG – Not only the troubled waters, but also the Chinese-Filipinos, are sandwiched between China and the Philippines.
Some Chinese-Filipinos worry ethnic tension may rise in the Philippines, as situation in the South China Sea, according to political observers, have “indeed contributed to growing anti-China sentiments” in the archipelago.
Some even do not rule out the possibility of anti-Chinese protest if nationalistic parties and media keep it boiling.
"Ordinary Filipinos are very friendly with Chinese people… So far the ruling has no obvious effects on Chinese-Filipinos, while many people see anti-Chinese riots are highly unlikely” said Peter Zhuang, president of the Filipino-Chinese Youth Business Association.
"But sometimes one can’t be too optimistic,” he said, noting there is always an intangible anti-China undercurrent in the Philippines, particularly from the some writers and media outlets.
In Vietnam – the other side of the South China Sea – anti-Chinese sentiment in Vietnam spilled over into rioting in 2014, resulting in at least 21 fatalities and more than 100 injured , as reported.
The violence was sparked by the dispute concerning China stationing an oil rig in an area of the South China Sea claiming by Vietnam.
Industrial parks and factories were set ablaze and Chinese workers hunted down as skirmishes spread to the center of the country a day after arson and looting in the south.
In the Philippines, anti-China protest is not without recent precedents.
Back in 2015, F. Sionil Jose, one of the most widely read Filipino writers, stirred up a racist rant. He demanded Chinese-Filipinos declare whose side they would be on once war erupts. Filipinos with Chinese lineages were put on the defensive.
Since dispute over the South China Sea escalated in recent years, Chinese-owned businesses have also taken a hit. There were protests in 2012 after Chinese and Filipino ships stood off at Huangyan Island. Many Chinese-Filipinos have suffered along with the bilateral relations.
Ahead of a tribunal made a ruling in favor of the Philippines in an arbitration case over South China Sea disputes with China in July, Filipino activists protested outside the Chinese Embassy in the financial district of Makati City, according to media reports.
Zhuang suggested an anti-Chinese rally is not impossible if the territorial dispute escalates to a point where the both countries can’t do anything. The outlaws could use nationalism as an excuse to rob and attack the Chinese-Filipino communities.
The kind of ethnic tension has a long history on this archipelago. Concerns resurfaced as territorial dispute over South China Sea have grown between the two countries in these years.
But, in general, the Filipinos “treat us very well and friendly as we are all Filipinos,” Zhuang added. “They are not easy to taunt.”
He attributed such hospitality to the contributions of the minority Chinese communities over generations. Known as Tsinoy – a blend of the Tagalog words for “Chinese” and “Filipino” – Chinese-Filipinos have not only cemented their reputation as outstanding businesspeople over the past centuries, but also committed to politics, civil issues and educations in the past decades.
Home to 1.5 million Chinese-Filipinos – which count 1.5 percent of the country’s population, Philippines is permeated by Tsinoy entrepreneurs, Chinese culture and traditions.
Economically, Tsinoy businessmen consistently rank among the wealthiest in the country, overseeing large conglomerates, which have been the economic driver in recent years.
Meanwhile, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII), the largest organization of Chinese-Filipino businesspeople in the country, has foundations which played a big role in offering support during natural disaster and calamities and coordinating with the local government. After the massive fire in northern Metro Manila last year, the association donated 10,000 pesos ($225) to each victim’s family on behalf of the Tsinoy community.
"Our contributions let ethnic Filipinos know that Tsinoy are not only business-oriented people, but they do care about the all the people in the Philippines,” Zhuang said. With these influences and exchanges blossomed into friendships, “the new generation of Tsinoy can integrate so well into the Filipino society.”
However, a Tsinoy senior officer of a local food company, who asked for anonymity, saw the ruling could hurt the relationship between Tsinoy and Pinoy, ethnic Filipino. Ordinary Tsinoy, on the other hand, hardly discuss political issue publicly. “We don’t want to make it awkward between the people I know and I met.”
He sees an anti-China riot may happen if it arrives to a “boiling point”. It would be threatening as they are “easily identified, by either our surnames or appearance.” Yet he added that Chinese community and Filipinos are getting along well, particularly under the current administration.
"President (Rodrigo) Duterte makes us feel more comfortable, compared to his predecessor,” he remarked. “He knows history, he understands the situation.”
A Chinese-Filipino entrepreneur, who preferred to not reveal his name and chairs a Tsinoy businesspeople association, maintained the Filipinos would rather not translate the anger into daily life, saying a large-scale anti-Chinese rally, thus, is unlikely.
He, however, held the Filipino media accountable for inflaming public’s emotion, suggesting many young Filipinos may take an anti-China message which painted the Chinese government as a close-minded one.
Benjie Tubliang, 30, a Chinese-Filipino and call center agent, identified himself as a Filipino “with Chinese blood on his nerve”. He saw the conflict should be only “between the government, but not between the people”. Born and bred in Manila, he reckoned Pinoy should not see Tsinoy as foes vis-à-vis South China dispute.
"The Philippines is home to the oldest Chinatown in the world. Chinese people came to this archipelago long before the arrival of Spaniards,” Tubliang said. “We have long instilled into the fabric of Filipino society.”
The Filipino-Chinese community serves as backbone of the country’s economy, he remarked, adding that the Pinoy-Tsinoy relationship is “100 percent good”.
This idea is echoed by Richard Heydarian, a regional-security specialist at Da La Salle University in Manila. He regarded the Philippines has been one of the most cosmopolitan nation, welcome Chinese immigrants among many other with maximum levels of tolerance and harmony. Chinese-Filipinos are not only part of the economic elite, but have also successfully integrated into the cultural-entertainment – and even political elite.
"There is no state-sanctioned discrimination of any kind against the influential Chinese minority,” Heydarian said, however, admitting that the rising tensions in South China Sea have indeed contributed to growing anti-China sentiments in the archipelagoes.
He urged the two governments to find a common ground in the South China Sea, with the Tsinoy community playing a constructive role to encourage mutual understanding and combat discrimination, seeing it is important Chinese-Filipinos are seen as primarily Filipinos than Chinese – to avoid any unnecessary suspicion of their loyalty.
Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for the Manila-based Philippines Star and a well-known figure among Chinese-Filipino, agreed that Tsinoy will be the most affected if bilateral relations do not normalize or improve.
"Anti-China, and even anti-Chinese rallies can happen, though the possibility is not very high due to the relative stability of Philippines society right now,” Flores said. “There any many ways for people to express anger or frustrations, say, social media.”
"Most of our community members are low-key not only in politics, even in economic issues,” Flores said. “The nature of our community mainly is composed of business people who usually shy away from publicly expression opinions even about Philippines politics.”
"We prefer to seek win-win solutions to the disagreements of both countries,” he added, “Most of the ethnic Chinese minority members are legally Philippines citizens.”
Many Chinese-Filipinos consider Duterte, who took office on last month, can reset a better Sino-Philippine relationship. Flores sees Duterte as a “capable president”, who has the political will and wisdom to forge a different foreign policy which can repair and normalize the ancient bond of friendship between two countries.
As a Tsinoy, the columnist reckoned the Chinese-Filipinos have a role to play in bridging the bilateral gap. Flores stated that Chinese minority have always been in favor of diplomatic, cultural, economic and other effort to improve ties between the two countries, via whether formal or personal dialogues.
"Diplomacy and dialogue between these two old friends are the most effective ways to overcome any disagreements or misunderstanding,” he concluded.
feliks@chinadailyhk.com
