Mangled Mianzi
By Farah G. Decano
THE collision between a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship and a Chinese Coast Guard vessel—while they were busy chasing a “puny” Philippine skipper—was a global spectacle. Unfortunately for China, the impact was more than a fender-bender at sea; it was a full-blown face-plant heard ’round the world. The incident completely obliterated the “mianzi” of the ever-so-image-conscious Red Dragon. To many, it was a live-action Tom and Jerry cartoon where Tom the cat, in a mad frenzy, managed to injure himself after a run-in with Jerry the mouse.
With its face thoroughly mangled on the international stage, China is now in a frantic rush to patch up its eroding façade as a mighty superpower. What better way to do that than by claiming, just two days later, that it had “expelled” USS Higgins from the area? A bold assertion, indeed, that was immediately—and publicly—shot down by the United States.
It seems the Red Dragon needs a better strategy to save face. Perhaps sending its biggest aircraft carrier to the West Philippine Sea? Or maybe a powerful livestream of a water fountain, complete with lights and sounds in the middle of the ocean? Better yet, how about discovering that Neptune and mermaids are real?
To claw back what’s left of its dignity, China needs to realize it shouldn’t just beat its chest, boast, and fabricate news of its own grandeur. That only magnifies the country’s innate insecurity. The more aggressive it gets, the more ridiculous it becomes—and frankly, the more entertained the world is. Who knew international politics could be so funny?
To regain its face, China must grow a heart. The world is tired of the old superpower narrative. Imagine how refreshing it would be if this Asian Giant presented itself as a benevolent, compassionate leader. Most, if not all, Asians would gravitate toward that. After all, a kindhearted approach to winning support is far more “Asian” than what China is currently doing. As one priest once put it, “What is a pretty face without a heart? A monster.”
Surely, China doesn’t want to be known as the monster brother of Asia. That’s a PR nightmare, even for the most image-conscious dragons.
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Konsehala Dada is wisely playing the fighting/victim dual card. She is now proving what stuff she is made of. Afterall, isn’t she the progeny of two powerful clans from the yesteryears?
Is her present situation a call from her ancestral roots to rise?
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The present 9-1 alignment in the Sanggunian Panlungsod is a chance for the new supermajority to demonstrate that it is different from its predecessors, who were known to be vengeful and overbearing. It’s an opportunity to end the long-standing practice of political retaliation in the City Hall.
Pitted against the new supermajority, Councilor Dada’s small frame could easily sway public opinion in her favor, creating a powerful visual narrative that highlights the disparity in power.
To counter this optics, the supermajority must endeavor to be the statesmen and stateswomen they were elected to be.
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