Photo by Drasko Markovic from PBASE.com

ON MAY 27, the Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed Sonia Brady’s appointment as ambassador to China, with jurisdiction over North Korea and Mongolia.

The confirmation came swiftly a day after Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte announced the nomination made by President Benigno Aquino III.

Brady, a career diplomat, was formerly the ambassador to Beijing from 2006 to 2010, following diplomatic stints in Thailand and Myanmar.

Her appointment is expected to help fix the shaky relationship between China and the Philippines, as negotiations have been hobbled by the lack of a Philippine ambassador in Beijing.

The Philippines has been without an ambassador to China since last year after the CA did not approve Aquino’s previous nominee, businessman and family friend Domingo Lee.

The Chinese government has also welcomed Brady’s appointment.

A career diplomat

The appointment of Brady is seen as a significant act on the part of the Philippines to promote a diplomatic dialogue. Prior to the appointment, Chinese media often cited the Philippines’ lack of a formal ambassador in Beijing.

Chargé d’affaires Alex Chua of the Philippine Embassy in China used to be the Philippine official summoned by the Chinese government then.

Valte said that Aquino wanted “someone who is already familiar with the politics and the culture of that country—that person can hit the ground running.”

The timely appointment of Brady, who is also a known diplomat to the Chinese government, is intended to address these concerns.

Brady was the diplomat during other instances that have challenged Chinese–Philippine relations, such as the canceled ZTE deal and the dispute over the Spratly Islands.

Reactionary response

The appointment of Brady is also seen as a reactionary move, as the perceived lack in diplomatic progress has led the Chinese government to the deployment of more ships near the contentious Scarborough Shoal.

On June 5, however, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that both countries have withdrawn their maritime vessels from the lagoon of the shoal.

Brady perhaps has yet to address a chain of concerns, such as the decreased leverage the Philippines has in negotiations, given the United States’ neutral stance on the issue.

However, the Chinese have speculated that an alliance with the US had emboldened the Philippines and Vietnam in their respective disputes with China.

“The Philippines has always been dependent on American support,” said Lucian Dioneda, head of The Assembly’s Office for Research and Advocacy.

According to Dioneda, “We’ve always been dependent on American support, so it’s kind of naïve to think that the Philippines will escape from these shackles soon.”

Chinese students opine

In an email interview with The GUIDON, several local university students from China shared their thoughts on the dispute.

Kelvin Huang, currently a student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said that he is aware that “China emphasizes that any territorial dispute should be settled bilaterally and diplomatically. I fully support the statement and action taken by Chinese government. It is just and necessary.”

Chengzhang Li from the same university talked about the issue based on the idea of sovereignty. “In my opinion, the conflict arose because of the ambiguous definition of sovereign rights,” he said.

Moreover, Tsinghua University student Mogeng Yin thought that the dispute can definitely be settled. “China does not want to settle this issue by war, but peaceful method (sic).”

Huang added to this by saying, “It is the shared will of both sides to keep a good relationship, which will finally benefit the people of China and the Philippines.”