A decision by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to let China do research on the Philippines’ Pacific Ocean continental shelf raises the risk of a new backlash at home among Filipinos who already distrust the more powerful Beijing.

China alternates between “velvet” and “mailed” fists in Southeast Asian maritime policy, said Alan Chong, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. But China’s 19th National Congress of the Communist Party in October made party head and Chinese President Xi Jinping feel “emboldened,” he said.

“China has all to gain by being nice occasionally and it I think shows that the Philippines has no good choices except to play along with this kind of Chinese attitude,” he said.

Click here to view the full article