Opinion | In the Philippines, China needs to work harder to sell its narrative of being a good neighbour

The Chinese saying “a close neighbour is better than a distant relative” would make for a good slogan for China’s neighbourhood diplomacy. It could be a fulcrum on which Beijing anchors its public relations strategy as it tries to address concerns over the flow of its people, investments and technologies abroad.

The Philippines, a country that has witnessed a transformation of its ties with China over the past three years, presents an interesting case. In this Southeast Asian country with long-standing ties to the United States, China is confronted with serious public relations challenges.

The influx of Chinese workers and capital has raised unease in the Philippines. Hence, China is under pressure to present an appealing narrative. It also needs to craft effective responses to untoward incidents.

Before his historic state visit last November, President Xi Jinping, in a signed letter published in three Philippine newspapers, reiterated China’s desire for good neighbourly relations. He described both countries as “neighbours facing each other across the sea” with a long history of peaceful exchanges and people-to-people connections.

Xi cited the pre-colonial voyages of Zheng He to the islands and the goodwill visit of a Sulu king to Ming China, where he was buried upon his death – one of only two foreign royal tombs in China. Xi also mentioned the Chinese ancestry of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal and that a celebrated Chinese general, Ye Fei, was born in the Philippines. However, these deep links have failed to dispel suspicions about Chinese intentions in the country.