Sunday, March 23, 2014

Opinion: Pragmatism: Key to our foreign relations

Opinion piece in the Philippine Star (Mar 23): Pragmatism: Key to our foreign relations






We too recognize the practicality of maintaining cordial relations with a big economic power like China. While we probably need them more than they need us, we must continue to find ways in using economic ties as a way to reach out without having to sacrifice our integrity and sovereignty. After all, we have a lot of Filipino-Chinese businessmen who have established businesses in China that can be our “special envoys.”

The late vice president Doy Laurel was actually one of the first government officials to visit China in 1972. While Doy was known as an “American Boy” having gone to Yale Law School, he had the foresight and saw the need to establish special relations with China after meeting with Zhou En Lai. In fact, when we visited US President Richard Nixon at his Saddle River home in New Jersey, Nixon jokingly told then Vice President Laurel that only the two of them had the right foresight about China. (You may read more about Doy Laurel in the Allure section of the STAR today.)

In the final analysis, the practical approach regarding relations with other countries is the key to the survival of our country. Nationalism with pragmatism is still the best foreign policy.

http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2014/03/23/1304066/pragmatism-key-our-foreign-relations

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