In search of our own Goldilocks zone

THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE: that distance from a sun that enables conditions in surrounding planets for liquid water to exist, hence, making them habitable, in theory — a rare sighting among astronomers.

- WILFREDO G. REYES

Not an exact metaphor here, but it’s still kinda like the elusive condition under which our economy could thrive that we seek in our ties with China, the world’s second-biggest economy. Economists expect that giant to displace the United States as the biggest economy, current internal challenges notwithstanding. Hence, there is no way any country can decouple from it, though it would be wise to cut our reliance on China by diversifying trade and other aspects of the economy towards other opportunities.

Some folks, including China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, cite our Southeast Asian peers as examples of independent foreign policy for us to emulate (true of Vietnam, which has had its own tiff with China, but an unfair comparison with others that have not faced the aggression that we now do).

I recall fellow columnist, Stratbase CEO/Managing Director Victor Andres C. Manhit, saying in a briefing that he had told off with “I don’t care” a Southeast Asian academic who remarked that the Philippines was too identified with the US. Beijing has only itself to blame in this matter since it forced us to a corner. Sun Tzu would have given Beijing a failing mark, since it could otherwise have achieved its strategic objectives with us in more persuasive, non-confrontational ways.

It behooves each state to balance competing national interests at any given time.

Take Thailand, for example, which has been vying with Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia for more trade, foreign direct investments, and tourists from China (which is the top source across these accounts for Thailand), and relies besides on that northern neighbor for weapons like tanks, air defense systems, warships, and submarines.