LIKE China's ambassador to Manila, we welcome the situation in the West Philippine Sea that now allows Filipinos to fish in and around contested waters without being harassed by foreign coast guard ships and larger fishing vessels. Ambassador Huang Xilian even went on to say that China was open to expanding maritime cooperation with the Philippines.

Of course, Filipinos would be happier if there were no Chinese presence in the disputed area. But this geopolitical problem is anything but simple. As many know, China clings to its nine-dash line policy that claims 90 percent of the South China Sea. Or as President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. explained it, China claims territories that belong to the Philippines.