. . . is the topic of my latest Trade Tripper column in this Friday-Saturday issue of BusinessWorld. Excerpt:
"Indeed, whether it be in terms of regional security and the economy, as well as the Philippine°s standing in the world, it has always seemed to me that the better proposition for the Philippines would be to maintain, nurture, and focus on its traditional security and trading partners. This is based on a number of factors, of course, some of them historical and cultural. Frankly, one good reason is that at least our traditional partners are known entities, for which a certain degree of knowledge, it is hoped, is there. But quite pragmatically, one would think that the Philippines is better off betting on its traditional partners for the simple reason that the emerging power that is China, no matter how highly celebrated, may not have enough gas (including youth and women) in its tank."
