The Philippines: Is Arroyo's Foreign Policy Anti-American?

Bienvenido Macario has sent an article by Norman Bordadora and distributed by the Inquirer News Service It begins: "Japanese companes are expanding their businesses in the Philippines as Manila and Tokyo try to build an economic partnership geared to the rapidly growing Chinese market, President Macapagal-Arroyo said. "Japanese capital, Philippine human resources and Chinese markets. That's the way to go in the 21st century," Ms Macapagal said in a speech a day after arriving home from a four-day state visit to Japan. But while President Macapagal was gung-ho over trade with Japan, Vice President Teofisto "Tito" Guingona cautioned her to go easy on the bilateral free trade agreement she signed in principle with the Japanese during her state visit. Guingona raised potentially adverse effects a bilateral trade agreement with Japan would have on the Philippines' own fledgling industries, such as automotive assembly and refrigeration. "The free trade agreement with the World Trade Organization will take effect after years of negotiations; this is outside the WTO and, therefore, is an agreement intended for Japan and the Philippines only," Guingona said.

Ronald Hilton - 1/2/03