Taho-gate has stained Duterte's Philippines-China love affair
This is particularly true in geopolitics. As Barabara Tuchman masterfully demonstrated in The Guns of August (1962), the first world war was the destructive upshot of a confluence of personal miscalculations and trivial mistakes. What is most frightening is that no one intended it, and no one saw it coming.
In the same vein, contemporary Philippine-China relations could well be undermined by seemingly random, isolated events. Despite President Rodrigo Duterte's efforts to mend long-frayed ties, widespread resentment has been teeming beneath the surface.
The Filipino president's tireless pursuit of rapprochement with Beijing has, paradoxically, only reinforced anti-China sentiments in his country. A recent incident, involving a 23-year-old Chinese national publicly insulting a Filipino law enforcer, only underscores the danger lurking over the horizon.
The incident took place reportedly after a lowly Filipino officer, Willam Cristobel, reminded the Chinese national, Jiale Zhang, of a rule against bringing drinks on to the metro system.
When the Chinese student was caught on camera throwing a soy pudding (a Chinese-Filipino sweet snack called taho) on the bewildered law enforcer, there was immediate nationwide uproar.
The instinctive interpretation of many Filipinos was straightforward: utter and unmistakable national humiliation.
Humiliated, personally and nationally: Filipino law enforcer Willam Cristobel. Photo: guancha.cn
In their eyes, the condescendingly rude Chinese national and the helplessly humiliated Filipino policeman essentially symbolised the current state of Philippine-China relations.
What followed could be termed the "Taho incident" or "Taho-gate". Leading statesmen and personalities were quick to condemn her actions as demonstrative of a broader political phenomenon.
Senator Ping Lacson, a staunchly independent-minded former police chief, portrayed the incident as "a big insult to us [Filipinos]" and how it "highlights our pitiful condition" as a nation.
"As Filipinos, we must be united. Even if our country is small, weak and poor, let us not allow them to treat us this way. Let's stand by it," the tough-talking senator said, calling on officials to take swift and decisive action.
No less than the vice-president of the Philippines, Leni Robredo, also chipped in, declaring "What happened is not just disrespect against our police but also our country."
Ahead of the midterm elections in May, opposition leaders have seized on the opportunity to portray the incident as indicative of the dangers of Duterte's seemingly obsequious policies towards China.
After all, the Filipino president has never lost the chance to express his "love" for the Chinese leadership, portraying them as his "protector" and even going so far as quipping about turning the Philippines into a "Chinese province".
Recent months have also seen a growing public backlash against the influx of illegal Chinese workers and online casinos into the Philippines, which has jacked up property prices and deprived many locals of desperately needed jobs.
Prominent senators such as Grace Poe have also openly opposed Chinese entry into strategic sectors and locations in the Philippines. The most prominent cases are China Telecom's entry into Philippines telecommunications sector as well as the prospective purchase of a large shipping yard by Chinese companies at Subic Bay, the former site of American bases.
Chinese President Xi Jinping with Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte during a state banquet in Manila. Photo: AP
Recognising the political implications of the "Taho incident", even the presidential palace has chipped in. "The president [Duterte] is always outraged by any kind of oppression," argued presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, assuring the public that Duterte wants the authorities to take all necessary actions, including the immediate deportation of the Chinese national if deemed appropriate.
At stake, however, is not only the ongoing Philippine-China rapprochement, but also the future of people-to-people relations as well as people of Chinese descent living in the Southeast Asian country.
Among archipelagic Southeast Asian nations, the Chinese minority has historically enjoyed a privileged status in the Philippines. Unlike in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, there has been almost no history of anti-Chinese pogroms in the Philippines for several centuries.
The Filipino-Chinese minority is immensely diverse, but, as a socio-ethnic group, it controls much of the country's wealth. Moreover, many of them have seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the political and cultural elite - in contrast to many of their counterparts in neighbouring countries, who have had to play down their Chinese background to climb the social ladder.
Kris Aquino, the daughter of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, is of partial Chinese descent. Photo: EPA
Many of the Philippine's presidents and celebrities have been either of full or partial Chinese descent, including the powerful Cojuangco clan, which has produced two presidents, a billionaire, and a mega-celebrity, Kris Aquino.
Yet, this hyper-privilege status has also nurtured deep resentment among many Filipinos, including the non-Chinese elite, many of whom openly embrace and propagate anti-Chinese prejudice with increased impunity.
What's particularly worrying is the fact that people from mainland China, Taiwan, and Chinese-Filipinos are often mistakenly portrayed as a monolithic group in the Filipino imagination, despite the immense diversity of the Chinese diaspora.
Meanwhile, authoritative surveys show that anti-China sentiments are deep and almost unmoved. According to the Social Weather Stations' report, China has consistently garnered negative net ratings among Filipinos and stands at the bottom of the list of preferred international partners throughout the years.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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