CHINESE President Xi Jinping, who chairs the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC), urged the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at the National People's Congress on March 7 to prepare for conflicts at sea to protect their maritime rights and interests amid tensions in the East and South China seas. His call for the PLA to prepare for war has been persistent from the time he assumed the presidency. If my memory serves me right, that directive began with Jiang Zemin some 30 years ago and continued by his successors. I believe that each president is mandated by the party to execute a master plan for China to be the next superpower.

China has clearly demonstrated that it does not respect international law, Philippine sovereignty or our sovereign rights. It attacks our Philippine Coast Guard and Navy resupply ships and prevents our fishermen from fishing in our own waters. China has hurt our sailors, damaged our ships and even sank our fishing boats in our EEZ. China has built a forward operating base in Mischief Reef next door to Palawan, annexed Scarborough Shoal next door to Zambales, swarms our EEZ with hundreds of its militia ships, prevents the resupply of our troops on Ayungin Shoal, polices our EEZ like it owns it, and habitually lies about its provocative actions.