THE Philippines has a large population of people of Chinese ancestry. Chinese in the Philippines have intermarried with Filipinos and largely been assimilated into the population. Data says Chinese mestizos or ethnically Chinese Filipinos comprise 1.8 percent of the population. But that is only 1.35 million out of the total 113.9 million humanity back home. Which is extremely modest or huge miscalculation. Chinese culture’s bloodline influence in the Filipino sociocultural psyche is massive.
I am not talking about the current Beijing economic bombast in the region (or globally). Even before Ferdinand Magellan landed in the southern islands, the Chinese were already trading with Filipinos for centuries. Hence, we have a clear understanding of the Chinese mindset. Because they are “within” us. 🇨🇳🥢🇨🇳
THE Chinese back home. The quiet neighbor, painfully careful landlord and wickedly guarded loan giver. The hyper-creative but icy pragmatic restaurant/store owner who never ran out of food and stuff to sell. I even had kin who are Chinese (via marriage) or my blood/vein got Chinese in them as do majority of Filipinos.
The Chinese that I know avoid arguments, refuse trouble or didn't take sides in community animosities. But they are willing to serve food while village councils fix quarrels. They even offer feasts of food, free, as long as they are assured fighting would be resolved faster and they could continue business with less hostilities around.
A Chinese trade trait that is fascinating? When you go to a Chinese store or restaurant and ask for something that they don't have at the moment, they'd tell you they actually got some. Then the boss sends an assistant to a nearby fellow Chinese store/restaurant to get the stuff. That's how their cultural socialism works. They will convince you to sit tight for a bit and you'll get what you want in a minute as they hand you a bowl of lo mein, on the house. Voila! You are now a regular client. 🇨🇳🥢🇨🇳
HOWEVER, it doesn't mean the Chinese are spot clean. They got the dreaded Hung Society and its more popular Triad, plus the Golden Triangle crime organization. You don't mess with these guys. The CCP can't even contain them. So they struck a deal. They basically operate only in Hong Kong and Macau.
Meanwhile, these bad dudes also practice "cultural socialism." You know what I mean? They avoid South LA or Sinaloa kinda gangland shootout. Too messy. Bad for business. In other words, when they waste you it's because you had to be wasted. Pretty much how the Japanese Yakuza operates. Let's do business first and war is the last resort, if ever. In crime, there is respect, honor, and integrity. Uh huh. 🇨🇳🥢🇨🇳
GEOPOLITICALLY, although China's military spending is a lot less than America, China has the world's largest army, mostly concentrated inside the Great Wall. Only 1 military base outside, in Djibouti. Plus a maritime reconnaissance and electronic intelligence station in Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal near Myanmar.
Think lessons of two Opium Wars (1839 to 1860) and the Boxer Rebellion (1900). They were invaded and fought back essentially via kung fu. LOL! But they eventually agreed to open their trade ports to the West. Business. That's how they "fight." Then we talk of Bill Clinton and Jiang Zemin's trade deal in 2000, which paved the way for Beijing to enter WTO in 2001. From that point, China's economic expansionism rolled on in plain sight.
No need to fight a physical war or armed hostility. But to outsmart the Chinese, play their relentless game of economic chairs. Same tactics and strategy how they outfoxed the U.S. and Europe. As 21st century marched in, the Chinese played Western styled capitalism sans military bombast and Hollywood-styled talk without losing their business acumen and dealmaking shrewdness. Straight up trade, no chasers in between. 🇨🇳🥢🇨🇳
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