A China Coast Guard vessel blasts a Philippine Coast Guard vessel with a water cannon in the disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea. PCG PHOTO
More Filipinos would take the American position than side with China over the West Philippine Sea dispute, a recent survey has found.
The first-quarter 2024 Oculum Research and Analytics survey of 3,000 respondents found 43% siding with the United States and only 3% with China.
However, a huge proportion, 40%, said the Philippines should side with neither country.
The Oculum survey also found that only 17% of respondents trusted China, the lowest among the 16 countries mentioned in the survey. Moreover, China garnered the highest level of distrust among respondents at 38%. Following China was Russia with 26% trust and 19% distrust.
The United States is the Filipinos’ most trusted foreign country, obtaining a trust rating of 75% of respondents. It was followed by Canada (69%), Australia (65%) and Japan (59%).
Joseph Mercado, Oculum Research and Analytics chief statistician, said the high level of trust in the US was possibly a reflection of its global influence and perception as a key ally of the Philippines.
“The low level of trust in China and a relatively high level of distrust could be attributed to geopolitical tensions, economic competition, territorial disputes, or concerns over political and human rights issues,” he said.
The Oculum 2024 first-quarter national survey involved in-person interviews with a total of 3,000 respondents aged 18 years old and above, said Oculum research chief Racidon Bernarte.
Respondents were distributed as follows: 335 from the National Capital Region, 645 from Northern and Central Luzon, 690 from Southern Luzon, 615 from the Visayas, and 715 from Mindanao.
A real, non-aligned foreign policy
Manila should grab the chance to become a dialogue partner or even become a member like India, Pakistan, and Mongolia which also have vibrant relations with the US and the West.
Enforcing the arbitral ruling
When Rodrigo Duterte was president, he discarded the landmark arbitral ruling the Philippines had won at the international tribunal in The Hague as a piece of paper destined for the waste bin.
Divisive American Indo-Pacific strategy
In January 2021, Washington crafted a strategy to promote an open and free Indo-Pacific region to deter its main competitor, Beijing, from dominating global political and economic influence.