Referring to China, Aquino also says, 'How does fomenting tension help us achieve the primary goal of bettering the lives of our people?'
AQUINO IN JAPAN. President Benigno Aquino III with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko during the welcoming ceremony at the Grand Hall of the Imperial Palace for his state visit in Japan on June 3, 2015. Photo by Robert Vinas/MalacaƱang Photo Bureau
Repeating a
comment that is expected to again anger Bejing, Philippine President Benigno
Aquino III drew a parallel Wednesday, June 3, between present-day China and Nazi Germany during a speech in Japan .
Aquino also
hinted that the world cannot continue to appease Beijing
as it claims even more territory in the South China Sea (West
Philippine Sea ).
The comments come
as disquiet grows over the quickening pace of China 's land reclamation program in
international waters, including its construction of a runway long enough for
large military planes.
"If there
was a vacuum, if the United States, which is the superpower, says 'We are not
interested,' perhaps there is no brake to ambitions of other countries,"
Aquino told an audience of business leaders in Tokyo when asked about China's
rising might, and the role of the US in checking it.
"I'm an
amateur student of history and I'm reminded of...how Germany was testing the waters and
what the response was by various other European powers," he said,
referring to the Nazis' territorial conquests in the months before the outbreak
of World War II.
"They tested
the waters and they were ready to back down if for instance in that aspect, France said (to
back down).
"But
unfortunately, up to the annexation of the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia , the annexation of the entire
country of Czechoslovakia ,
nobody said stop.
"If somebody
said stop to (Adolf) Hitler at that point in time, or to Germany at that
time, would we have avoided World War II?"
Aquino made
similar comments about China
in an interview with the New York Times published in February 2014.
'Fomenting
tension'
Responding to
Aquino's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said comparing China 's actions
to those of Hitler was "inconceivable and unreasonable." (READ: Chinese insults show Philippines is right: Aquino)
In another speech
before the National Diet of Japan on Wednesday, Aquino referred to "a
country that we both have had difficulties with" – apparently referring to
China , which is also at odds
with Japan
over a territorial dispute.
Aquino said:
"Perhaps I may share with you a question that I posed to a country that we
both have had difficulties with: If all governments are there to serve the
people from whom they derive their power, is it not incumbent upon all to
maintain stability, which is a necessary prerequisite for prosperity? How does
fomenting tension help us achieve the primary goal of bettering the lives of
our people?"
Aquino's comments
come after US President Barack Obama on Monday, June 1, weighed in on the
growing tensions in the South China Sea, urging regional powers – particularly China – to
respect the law and stop "throwing elbows."
Washington and
its Asian allies, including Tokyo , which has a
separate territorial dispute with Beijing in the
East China Sea , has warned that ignoring
international laws could threaten "the freedom of navigation."
http://www.rappler.com/nation/95179-aquino-nazi-comparison-china-germany
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