Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Watch: Professor Baviera Discusses Foreign Policy Prospects Under Duterte Presidency

Details

Professor Baviera on ANC with Gigi Grande. Video courtesy of ABS CBN News.

Professor Aileen Baviera of the UP Asian Center was recently interviewed at the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) on the prospects for Philippines-China relations in light of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to appoint Perfecto Yasay, Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

In her analysis, Professor Baviera welcomes President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s expression of intent to engage China in bilateral talks. However, she notes that what will be brought to the negotiating table would be crucial, especially now that the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is weeks away from releasing its decision on the arbitration case filed by the Philippines versus China.

Together with the Philippine government’s pursuit of a rules-based approach in handling the disputes, Professor Baviera emphasizes that the Philippines should indeed explore other platforms to resolve the conflict with China, as bilateral and multilateral means are not mutually exclusive. She argues that the Philippines is indeed in a better position to deal with China, as there is currently an overwhelming support coming from neighboring countries. She adds that China, the Philippines, and the United States are seeking to improve relations with each other and would not want tensions to further escalate.

Read "Should Duterte Step Back on the South China Sea?" by Professor Baviera

Dr. Aileen SP. Baviera is Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. She specializes on and writes about contemporary China studies, China-Southeast Asia relations, Asia-Pacific security, territorial and maritime disputes, and regional integration. The editor in chief of the journal, "Asian Politics & Policy," she is the author of many academic publications, including the "The Domestic Mediations of China's Influence in the Philippines," which will appear in Rising China's Influence in Developing Asia, edited by Evelyn Goh and published by Oxford University Press. She completed her Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman. VIEW FULL PROFILE.