An uncertain smile
got this from the e-group i'm a member of. evidently, amb rey arcilla is also a writer for business insight malaya where this column was also published.
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HONG KONG is not a country, not a nation-state. It is a special administrative region, a euphemism for an autonomous province, of China. It is self-governing but it is Beijing that handles its defense and foreign affairs. Its chief executive, therefore, is not a head of state.
Now that we have that straightened out, let us look objectively at what Hong Kong’s chief executive Donald Tsang tried to do. He was trying to reach a head of state, President Noynoy Aquino, directly. And when he couldn’t reach him, he felt he was being ignored and incensed the Chinese nationals in Hong Kong by telling them so. (Please note – the people in HongKong, including Tsang, are Chinese subjects. If they think they have a separate national identity, that’s their problem. They have to sort that out with Beijing.)
To put it bluntly, Tsang had no business demanding that he speak with the head of state of a country directly, he being a mere equivalent of a provincial governor. He should have coursed whatever he wanted to do through the Chinese Foreign Ministry as he was already treading on foreign affairs. So, there.
***
I was informed by a very reliable source that the office of Tsang called Malacañang at around 4 p.m., Monday. An aide of Noynoy referred the caller to his future ex-foreign secretary, Alberto Romulo, and gave the latter’s mobile phone number. The aide then called Romulo instructing him to take, not initiate, the call. Romulo waited for hours but Tsang never called. Apparently, Tsang felt it was beneath his dignity to talk only with Romulo. He wanted Noynoy himself!
After the bloody end to the hostage drama, a Malacañang official instructed Romulo to call Tsang which he did. He conveyed to the latter our extreme regret over the incident and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
The following day, it was reported that Noynoy himself called Tsang. He shouldn’t have. He should have called instead his counterpart, President Hu Jintao, or at the very least, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, he (Noynoy) being a head of state and government at the same time. Besides, Romulo had already spoken to Tsang.
Again, I ask, who the hell is advising Noynoy on foreign affairs? I heard his chief protocol officer now holds the position of presidential adviser on foreign affairs as well. Good heavens, he couldn’t be the one, could he?!
It should be Romulo. Unfortunately, foreign affairs is not his forte. It could have been consular matters, but, alas, even that he bungled. So, who? Noynoy had better find a good foreign secretary soon. Otherwise he may well be in for more unnecessary and unwanted trouble. He has enough of that on his plate
****************
HONG KONG is not a country, not a nation-state. It is a special administrative region, a euphemism for an autonomous province, of China. It is self-governing but it is Beijing that handles its defense and foreign affairs. Its chief executive, therefore, is not a head of state.
Now that we have that straightened out, let us look objectively at what Hong Kong’s chief executive Donald Tsang tried to do. He was trying to reach a head of state, President Noynoy Aquino, directly. And when he couldn’t reach him, he felt he was being ignored and incensed the Chinese nationals in Hong Kong by telling them so. (Please note – the people in HongKong, including Tsang, are Chinese subjects. If they think they have a separate national identity, that’s their problem. They have to sort that out with Beijing.)
To put it bluntly, Tsang had no business demanding that he speak with the head of state of a country directly, he being a mere equivalent of a provincial governor. He should have coursed whatever he wanted to do through the Chinese Foreign Ministry as he was already treading on foreign affairs. So, there.
***
I was informed by a very reliable source that the office of Tsang called Malacañang at around 4 p.m., Monday. An aide of Noynoy referred the caller to his future ex-foreign secretary, Alberto Romulo, and gave the latter’s mobile phone number. The aide then called Romulo instructing him to take, not initiate, the call. Romulo waited for hours but Tsang never called. Apparently, Tsang felt it was beneath his dignity to talk only with Romulo. He wanted Noynoy himself!
After the bloody end to the hostage drama, a Malacañang official instructed Romulo to call Tsang which he did. He conveyed to the latter our extreme regret over the incident and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
The following day, it was reported that Noynoy himself called Tsang. He shouldn’t have. He should have called instead his counterpart, President Hu Jintao, or at the very least, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, he (Noynoy) being a head of state and government at the same time. Besides, Romulo had already spoken to Tsang.
Again, I ask, who the hell is advising Noynoy on foreign affairs? I heard his chief protocol officer now holds the position of presidential adviser on foreign affairs as well. Good heavens, he couldn’t be the one, could he?!
It should be Romulo. Unfortunately, foreign affairs is not his forte. It could have been consular matters, but, alas, even that he bungled. So, who? Noynoy had better find a good foreign secretary soon. Otherwise he may well be in for more unnecessary and unwanted trouble. He has enough of that on his plate
Labels: esoteric cogitations
posted by cath at 11:08 PM
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