Daily Lessons from Life 26 April 2013 - China and the Philippines and China and Japan?

"China slams Philippines over disputed islands -

China on Friday hit out at the Philippines' attempt to seek an international verdict on a territorial dispute over islands in the South China Sea, repeating that it would never give up its claims.

Manila is seeking a United Nations ruling on the validity of Chinese claims to the resource-rich sea, with a possible unfavourable verdict for China seen as a test of its willingness to yield over territorial disputes.

China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website that the Philippines was attempting to "cover in a cloak of 'legality' its illegal occupation of China's islands and reefs".

It called on the Philippines to withdraw all personnel and facilities from the islands that it said Manila was occupying. "The position outlined by China will not change," it added.

The statement came a day after leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called for urgent talks with China to seek a resolution to the increasingly tense territorial disputes."

I commented on the insistence to the point of painfully irritating and totally unhelpful REFUSAL by the Japanese to admit and apologize for some of the extreme atrocities committed by its military forces during the WWII in China and South Korea and other 'occupied nations' in Asia.

This INSISTENCE by China on the territorial dispute with the Philippines, and Vietnam is becoming irritating as well. This 'NEVER give up its claims' stance is so much like the Japanese's 'never admit the atrocities committed'.

Of course, there is a slight difference, one is atrocities committed fully documented by the Chinese and non-Chinese witnesses, including some of the Japanese soldiers who committed the brutal acts while the other can be settled by going to the International Court to resolve the disputes.

In fact, if China is to be the benign superpower and the trusting Big Brother of the East, it can think LONGER TERM on 'sharing the purported resources rich islands' with the 10-member ASEAN group.

Lessons for me are:

1. when you are personally involved, you see things very differently from when you are objectively looking in!;

2. to be a true superpower and an admired nation, you need to think longer term and be prepared to go with the established international laws and even to concede a little bit to win more trust and respect to be truly No. 1;

3. it bears reflecting on how confrontational and making 'uncompromising statement about how one will react in certain situation' is helpful to promote neighbourliness and friendship. To keep peace, it is important to have the give and take spirit as well as willing to go to the established common standard of resolving territorial disputes.

May I hope for a peaceful, friendly and prosperous China and Asean region.