MANILA, Philippines – The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has premiered a song about the two countries’ cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, days after local officials filed a diplomatic protest against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In the over four-minute video uploaded on the Embassy’s social media page, a song from Chinese and Filipino singers was interlaced with clips of the two countries’ efforts to fight the latest coronavirus strain. It also showed the assistance and aid provided by the Asian superpower to the Philippines.
The song, entitled Iisang Dagat — Tagalog for “One Sea”, has been criticized by Filipino netizens as a form of advancing China’s conquest to occupy the West PH Sea region.
“China and the Philippines have been supporting and helping each other during the challenge of COVID-19 outbreak, demonstrating a new era partnership of mutual support during trying times and the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind advocated by the Chinese President H.E. Xi Jinping,” the Chinese Embassy said.
“This original music video Iisang Dagat is dedicated to those who contributed to our fight against the epidemic from both countries, especially the China Medical Expert Team to the Philippines,” they added.
Just this Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. confirmed that the Philippines filed two diplomatic protests over two issues involving China. The first issue was a Chinese warship’s pointing of its radar gun towards a Philippine Navy ship conducting border patrol last February 2020.
The second issue was about Beijing’s decision to name two islands within the Philippine territory as Chinese districts, and include them as part of the Hainan province.
According to Western Command (Wescom) chief Vice Admiral Rene Medina, a Chinese corvette pointed its gun at BRP Conrado Yap last February 17. When the Navy ship radioed the Chinese vessel to leave the area, the latter replied by saying that “the Chinese government has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea, its islands and its adjacent waters.”
Critics of the current administration have urged the country to take an action against the Chinese’s expansionism in the disputed region, with lawyer Neri Colmenares saying that the Philippines should participate in joint border patrols with other countries.
The Chinese Embassy said that the lyrics were written by Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian himself, while among the artists who performed included Chinese diplomat Xia Wenxin, singer Imelda Papin, Filipino-Chinese artist Jhonvid Bangayan, and Chinese actor Yubin.
“‘Ikaw at ako’y nasa iisang dagat, ang iyong pagmamahal aking kasama.’ Just as the lyric goes, as friendly neighbors across the sea, China and the Philippines will continue to join hands and make every effort to overcome the COVID-19 at the earliest!” the Chinese Embassy said.
China and the Philippines have enjoyed renewed ties, largely due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to align with the Asian superpower and enforce an independent foreign policy.
However, opposition groups believe that the spread of COVID-19 would have been slowed down had the government imposed strict travel restrictions for inbound flights from China — the origin of the latest coronavirus strain.
As of now, China has recorded 83,783 cases with 4,632 deaths — although observers claimed that the number might have been underreported as China allegedly already stopped testing people.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Department of Health said on Friday that there are now 7,192 patients infected with the coronavirus nationwide, of which 477 have died and 762 have recovered.