A question of effective diplomacy: Our ambassador to China

In the course of the year, I usually devote a column or two to critical issues of concern in the Philippine foreign service, believing how vital it is to our ties with the world. This yearend column is such a piece.

Contrary to the feeling of some that ambassadors may have outlived their usefulness in the age of the Internet, competent diplomats are more important than ever. The new global security threats – not only terrorism – require more intimate knowledge of foreign peoples and places that still cannot be acquired from Discovery Channel and websites. We still need to get our passports from a government office and not from e-Bay. Trade deals still need to be negotiated and economic promotions have to be carried out face-to-face and mano-a-mano in the face of intensive globalization. International migrations call for countries, like the Philippines, to deploy diplomatic and consular agents in far-flung and often hostile parts of the world.

And perhaps most important of all, we need effective ambassadors to man the ramparts of a new 21st century international order where many new players jostle one another for ever greater global and regional power and influence. This game has quickened considerably since the position of the United States has begun to erode in many international arenas, including East Asia.

This view of diplomacy lies at the heart of the criticism of the appointment of Ambassador Frank Benedicto as our envoy to China, much of which is emanating from the career service. To paraphrase their brief, the United States and China are the two most important countries in our foreign relations, and no diplomatic postings are more critical than Washington and Beijing. In this light, we need “the best and the brightest” to represent our country in these capitals. Ambassador Benedicto’s political appointment hardly fills the bill. In addition, it is imprudent considering that President Arroyo’s term will end in June 2010, and considering also that the said ambassador is beyond the age limit of 65 years. Why, they lament, is our government wasting funds for such a short tenure? 

The issue hovers between two poles: the prerogative of the President to appoint ambassadors of her choosing, subject to confirmation by the Congressional Commission on Appointments, and the need for the national interest to be ably served by our foreign service. While Congress has concurred with President Arroyo’s naming of Ambassador Benedicto, his colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs have not.

What lies at the root of the dissent?

I have known Ambassador Benedicto since the days when I served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs under President Fidel V. Ramos and when he was our Ambassador to Singapore. He is one of the most friendly, caring ambassadors in the service. He was beloved by OFWs in Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road. And he is known to pull out all the stops to be a generous host to visitors, even including pulling out his credit card to pay for their purchases. I understand that he has spent a lot of his personal money helping OFWs. After leaving Singapore to take up the post of ambassador to Korea, his successor complained that the ambassador’s residence was in poor condition for lack of proper maintenance. When I relayed the complaint to Frank, he immediately offered to make the repairs at his own expense. In sum, Frank is the kind of gentleman who is difficult to dislike.

Being a nice guy, however, is not enough rationale for one to be appointed Philippine Ambassador to China. The issue goes beyond just waste of money and short tenure; in all likelihood this political appointment will extend to the next President’s term. Frank holds the record of being the longest-serving political appointee in our foreign service. Age should not be a deterrent either, since many others of his age have been appointed before and some have performed capably. The core issue really is whether Frank’s forte – his genuine concern for our OFWs and his genial sociability – is suited for a post like China.

China, let’s face it, is the only other global power to reckon with besides the US. It will have an ever-increasing influence on our security and economy in coming years, more than the US and Japan. Dealing with this reality – and promoting our national interest as China asserts its status as a global power – will be a major foreign policy challenge for our government. The Philippines will have to rely on our man in Beijing to provide the insights and the necessary inputs for us to craft the appropriate foreign policy response. Moreover, he must be able to effectively communicate our position and views to the Chinese. This is a responsibility that cannot be delegated to junior officers, no matter how skillful. He himself must possess the skill and “gravitas” for the practice of diplomacy and appreciation of geopolitics and security, economic and trade issues, environmental and health concerns, and the many other issues that make up our bilateral relations. This is not developed overnight but from years of experience.  

Unfortunately, placing Frank in a situation like this is like putting a square peg in a round hole. There is no overseas Filipino community of note in China at the moment. Friendly chit-chat and affability can only take you so far. Diplomacy for all its niceties is cold and calculating, and we can be sure the Chinese will always have their national interest at heart and not necessarily ours, unless the two coincide. We have many delicate issues with China – Spratlys, Scarborough Shoal and our non-state relationship with Taiwan to name a few. The management of such crucial issues calls for a very sure and steady hand, especially when it comes to calming tension and reducing the potential for conflict.

Temperatures have risen considerably in the recent past over our rival claims in the South China Sea, and not because of climate change. Naval incidents involving China have taken place in Asian waters. These serious bilateral and regional incidents required the most careful diplomatic expertise to navigate. This could happen again and many are wondering whether Frank is the person to handle such a challenge.   

For their part, the Chinese would appreciate – not to mention, respect – someone who can understand them and effectively represent our government. For this reason, they would just as much prefer an experienced bureaucrat to a political star with foreign policy medals. Unfortunately, Frank is neither. There are other places where his particular attributes can best serve our country.

At the end of the day, this is a question of the effectiveness and credibility of Philippine diplomacy. China is a vital part of our foreign policy agenda. Our relations with that major power must be properly handled by the best ambassador we can find for the job. To do otherwise makes no sense.