In 1626 AD, the region of today's Hermosa in the Philippine province of Bataan was facing a severe famine, but the then Manila government was unable to offer aid to the region. Local Catholics had to pray every day that Chinese merchant ships could come as annually scheduled to help them cope with the emergency. Shortly afterwards, when six Chinese ships fully loaded with rice arrived on Hermosa port from the South China Sea, the locals hailed the timely rescue as "a gift from God."
Almost at the same time, chronicles of southeast China's Fujian Province known as "The Book of Fujian" also recorded a history of people-to-people contacts between the two countries, saying that sweet potato widely planted in today's China had actually been introduced from Luzon -- today's Philippines.
At that time, after seeing that sweet potato was widely grown in Luzon and its growth had gained good harvests, businessmen took sweet potato plants via the South China Sea to Fujian, where they were successfully planted. During the first years of extensive cultivation of sweet potato, it helped local people survive famines.
In the long history, the South China Sea mainly played the role as such a link and platform for equal exchanges and common development between China and neighboring countries.
However, in the past few years, the government of Aquino III put aside the traditional friendship between the two countries and the needs of the Philippine people's livelihood and development by pursuing a wrong foreign policy that led to serious deterioration of relations between China and the Philippines. Considering oral promises made by some countries outside the region as a security umbrella and economic driving force, Aquino III internationalized the South China Sea issue and was willing to serve as a vanguard for those countries in muddying the waters in the South China Sea.
In fact, it is difficult for Manila to find its real security interests from the frequent navigation by foreign military vessels on the South China Sea.
In economy, the promises of some Western countries have not helped improve the people's livelihood in the Philippines. Instead, escalation of South China Sea disputes has deprived many Filipinos of their means of survival.
Therefore, the cognitive, decision-making and strategic errors the Aquino government committed will finally bring bitter fruit to its people and even undermine regional stability and prosperity.
Only enhancing win-win cooperation and developing the economy are in the fundamental interests of the two countries.
As is known to all, China has been prudent and tolerant in handling its relations with the Philippines while considering the Philippine people's livelihood.
In 2015, bilateral relations were difficult, and the trade between China and other Asian countries as well as between China and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations went down by 7.8 percent and 1.7 percent respectively. However, the China-Philippines trade hit a record high of 45.65 billion U.S. dollars, up 2.7 percent from a year ago.
Now, China has become the Philippines' largest source of imports, second largest trade partner and third largest export market. The two countries are complementary to each other in industry, with the existence of great potential for economic growth and broad prospects for investment cooperation, which makes up a right way for mutually beneficial cooperation compared to the empty promises some countries made to Aquino III.
In the 1980s, then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, after meeting then Philippine Vice President Salvador Laurel and then Philippine President Corazon Aquino successively, proposed peacefully solving the South China Sea disputes, and shelving disputes while seeking joint development. The reason why such a constructive consensus was reached was that the two sides realized that hope was far more than difficulties and common interests were far more than differences.
Only through cooperation and common development can China-Philippines relations be brought back onto the track of sound development. As long as the Philippines remembers the history, envisages realities and refrains from jumping into traps set by some forces outside the region, it will not be difficult for it to substantially improve relations with China.
　　
