Manila's miscalculation

Ever since the Philippines unilaterally raised tensions over its disputes with China in the South China Sea in April, the country has dutifully played the role of a troublemaker in the region. While coveting territorial waters it is not entitled to, it has played one trick after another seeking confrontation with China.

Its politicians have developed a penchant of talking tough on China, as if wild talk will make the country's daydreaming come true. Jabbing a finger at China time and again, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told the Financial Times in an interview published on Monday that Manila "would welcome" Japan's constitutional changes allowing it to have a more active armed force so it can provide a counterbalance to China.

It is pathetic that to provoke China the foreign secretary of the Philippines has not hesitated to help Japan revive the dying ember of militarism. Del Rosario's remarks only play into the hands of Japanese right-wingers who have been clamoring to break the limits of the country's pacifist constitution.