BEYOND rhetoric, beyond propaganda. That's what China had been challenged to go in addressing the urgent Philippine need to find the correct path to development.

The occasion was the media forum conducted by the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute Inc. (ACPSSII) at the Cityland Megaplaza on Jan. 27, 2024. ACPSSII President Herman Tiu Laurel had invited me to the event for one particular purpose: to clarify my predilection to describe Philippine foreign relations in the context of geopolitics as 'pro-China.' It seems responsible elements from the Chinese-Filipino community would rather say 'friendly relations with China' as the more appropriate description.