EDITORIAL - Independence

China’s new leader Xi Jinping received the red carpet treatment from US President Barack Obama last week. Xi, visiting the US for the first time as president, was feted for two days in a plush resort in the California desert by his newly re-elected American counterpart. While the two countries for the most part maintained their disagreements on various issues, the casual, friendly setting signaled an effort by the world’s lone superpower and the new power to maintain positive relations.

The meeting should remind US allies, notably the Philippines, that America, like any nation, looks after its own strategic interests even as it stands by its traditional allies and abides by treaty obligations. These days those interests include maintaining strong, friendly relations with the world’s second largest economy.

It’s good to bear this in mind as the Philippines celebrates today the 115th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Over a century after revolutionary President Emilio Aguinaldo declared Filipinos’ independence from Spain in the shadow of American naval guns, which had obliterated the Spanish colonial flotilla in Manila Bay, the Philippines continues to depend on Uncle Sam for national defense.

While this may seem practical, considering the Philippines’ funding constraints, the nation must reassess the dependence in the light of China’s increasing assertiveness in claiming maritime territory. Washington has maintained that it is taking no sides in territorial disputes in waters around China, and wants only a peaceful settlement of differences. The message did not change during the California meeting between Obama and Xi.

If the Philippines wants to protect its maritime territory as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the country should provide for its own credible defense and reduce its dependence on outside aid. This commitment should be made on Independence Day. It is often said that God helps those who help themselves. It is prudent to presume that the same holds true for foreign governments, including the Philippines’ closest allies.