尊敬的埃尔琳达·巴西里奥大使阁下:

您好！信首预祝夏安。

您所看到的这封信，来自一群普通的中国青年。我们从不同的渠道，对近期即将所谓“宣判”的南海仲裁案有所耳闻。值此黑云压城、轵道风紧之际，我们对中菲两国关系发展的前景和两国青年的未来感到憧憬与担忧。在历史的分叉路口，中菲关系将一落千丈或是峰回路转？中国的青年对此满怀期待而略有迷茫。为此，我们愿与您就这个问题展开一段平等真诚的讨论。

自古以来，“与邻为善”便是中国外交思想的主旋律之一。上溯李唐，下及满清，中菲两国的经贸与人文互动历历在目。在中国本土至今仍保留着古苏禄国东王墓，它便是中菲友谊的最好见证。近代以来，特别是第二次世界大战期间，中菲两国人民都不幸遭受了日本法西斯的侵略。从北京到马尼拉，两国人民互相帮扶，用血与汗结下了深厚的友谊。新中国成立后，同为第三世界国家的菲律宾与中国继续保持着良好的关系，共同守望着四百多万平方公里的湛蓝南海，它本是我们之间沟通的桥梁与纽带，两国的青年本应携手泛舟于海上，垂钓于诸礁——却不成想，如今的南海问题成为了两国人民交往的障碍，成为了中菲关系最大的不稳定因素。

对于中国青年而言，南海问题的存在，本身便是天外飞来的问题，也本当是极好解决的事端。无论是国际法的“于理”，还是各国人民劳作传统的“于情”，南海都应当是中国领土神圣而不可分割的一部分。当各国的地图上调用着斑斓的彩虹进行划线，我们便已讶异于他们对历史的无知。南海问题本不应有，也本不应就此长存。占据的退回来，不该拿的放回去，南海问题就迎刃而解。也许您会认为，当下南海各国，包括菲律宾对部分中国岛礁的占领，可以改变现状并书写未来，实则不然。

我们深知，菲律宾国内，特别是菲律宾青年间，弥散着一种畏大趋强的情绪，我们对此表示理解。贵国虽守南海之西，坐拥要冲之地，实则疆土不阔，零星不聚，武备不强，面对复杂变幻的国际局势，难以安然自保。菲律宾的青年和我们一样，有着期待自己国家富强的一腔热血，有着谋求稳定自由发展的需要。于是菲律宾青年面对崛起的中国——这个看似大而不睦的邻居表现出了高度的警惕，并选择和当下一些实力强大的地区外大国站在一起。我们宁可相信这是时政使然，毕竟政客的高呼可以带来驻军基地的引擎轰鸣、可以带来岛礁周围新增兵力的每周巡弋，可以带来滔滔的选票和如流的支持。但请牢记，这并不能给菲律宾带来和平安稳的未来，更不能给菲律宾的青年带来一劳永逸的生活。毕竟雄狮未死，它只是曾经睡着了。

我们今天不多谈历史，更不必抓着军事和遏制中国的话题绕弯子，我们只想回望一个最为简单明白的事实——中国无法选择菲律宾，菲律宾也无法选择中国。不知大使女士和贵国青年是否读过仓央嘉措的诗句？中菲两国虽不是情侣，却正如他所言，“你见，或者不见我，我就在那里，不悲不喜”。实则中菲两国的地理位置，正是为两国关系发展定位的圭臬，决定了过去千百年间两国频繁的交往和相似的文化历史背景。中菲作为隔海相望的邻邦，区区一千公里有余。当下的一代菲律宾人可以选择美国，可以选择日本，可以选择海牙国际法庭来帮助他们对抗中国，甚至可以选择在一望无际的海疆上筑满不信任的铁幕。但菲律宾人永远无法移走身边这块九百六十万平方公里的大陆，就像中国青年无法忽略这个脾气反复的邻邦。俗语云，远亲不如近邻。在当代科技迅速发展的今天，我们几乎被网络的迅捷蒙蔽了双眼，仿佛遗忘了山海之间的距离。我们总是对遥远的繁华羡慕不已，却忘了最为亲善的邻邦就在身边。

中国儒学大师冯友兰先生曾将人生划作四个境界：自然境界、功利境界、道德境界、天地境界。实则两国关系也恰恰如此。我们应当意识到，当面对一个乱麻团般纠葛的问题时，我们可以试着攀上一个新的境界台阶。当几代中菲政客面对南海问题头疼不已，面对两国关系的起伏深表遗憾时，主宰着两国关系未来的青年人早已开始攀登。他们首先轻易地越过了自然境界的阻挠——这是一种自私的、为所欲为的境界，劫匪强盗才与之同流合污。菲律宾的青年也是高台教化出的学子，知道他人之物不容妄夺的浅显道理，知道那些漂游在南海上的菲方钻井平台是时候回家看看，至少要和中国人一起协商解决。接下来便是功利境界，我们都对珍馐美味、高楼巨筑垂涎不已，也深知南海的资源是两国发展的宝库，但如何取得便是值得思考的问题。中方曾言，搁置争议，共同开发——这正是双方突破功利阻遏的诀窍。我们不必向区域外的国家伸手求助，也不必通过一只虚无的判决来规避问题，因为中方对话的大门一直未曾关闭。当我们向菲律宾人民释放善意，当然所期待的，就是友好合作的回复。

第三层则是“患有”的道德境界，实则便是对功利境界的升华。当两国的合作尊重了中国的主权，当经贸的利益冲破了零和博弈的枷锁，两国青年便会走出“患无”的功利境界，意识到双方的和睦发展完全可以凭空制造出取之不竭的财富。最后，我们终于来到了天地境界。其实，这对于当下的青年人，真的是一种难以预见的美好处境，但我们愿意为之铺绘蓝图。南海，千年的商贸之海和自由之海，当各国的船只在其上自由地航行，当愈发繁密的灯火点亮岛礁的民居，我们会看到一个突破了国政之争的新时代的来临。一带一路的火炬，传递到了马尼拉和棉兰老岛；和平和睦的鸽子，也已经飞过了黄岩岛和美济礁。两国青年第一次认知了海洋、利用了海洋、拥抱了海洋，我们第一次让人性的光辉点亮南海，而非是战争的阴云遮蔽了合作的曙光。

这样一幅美好的画卷，徐徐展开，而又徐徐合拢。不知大使女士读到这里，是否有了南柯一梦的慨叹。作为写就这些胜景的中国青年，我们有着化干戈为玉帛的能力和信心。现在，海牙的法槌尚未落下，而马尼拉的总统府也尚未改弦更张，历史的岔路就在面前，贵国政府和贵国青年都从未如此轻易地接近和平。我们热切地盼望着十年后、二十年后，正是社会中流砥柱的两国青年回首这封信时，沐浴的正是它其中描绘的荣光。

此  致

      敬   礼！

 

河北工业大学    王天成

河南工业大学    盛卫国

杭州师范大学    叶子熙

河南大学    窦子昂

河南科技学院    黄晗博

河南城建学院    赵阳洋

华北水利水电大学    赵  勐

江苏大学    齐  华

辽宁大学    梁博文

南通大学    陆元元

石家庄学院    霍  翔

中国地质大学（北京)    庞  宗

中国矿业大学（徐州）   马清伟

中国石油大学（华东）   李思亦

浙江农林大学    陈  智

郑州轻工业学院    赵  超

云南大学    杨  创

兰州大学    杨  辉

青海大学    兰  静

新疆大学    黄晶晶

石河子大学    张  玲

西安外事学院    张凯雯

南京航空航天大学    李晓曦

天津职业大学    周  阳

2016年5月28日

 

Distinguished Ambassador Erlinda Basili,

How are you？Wish you a happy summer.

This letter is from a group of ordinary Chinese young people. We have heard  from different sources, that the judgment of this arbitration case on South China Sea  is going to be pronounced. Considering the recent tensions between the two countries , we really worry about the prospects of the development of relations between China and the Philippines and the future of the youth of the two countries. In the forked road of history, will Sino-Philippine relations plummet or recover? China's young people are full of expectation but a little confused about this. Therefore, we would like you to have some equal and honest discussions with us on this issue.

Since ancient times, "to be friendly with the neighbors" is one of the main themes of Chinese diplomatic thought. Trade and cultural interactions between China and the Philippines  from Tang to Qing dynasty are still fresh and vivid memories for us. China still reserves the ancient tomb of the East king of Saltanah Sulu, which is the best witness of the Sino-Philippine friendship. In modern times, especially during the Second World War, the Chinese people  as well as the Philippines have unfortunately suffered from Japanese fascist aggression. From Beijing to Manila, the two nations helped each other with blood and sweat and forged a profound friendship. After the founding of new China, as the third world countries, the Philippines and China continue to maintain good relations, jointly guarding the four million square kilometers of azure South China Sea, which used to be the bridge and link between the two countries, a place where young people of the two nations used to go boating and fishing. Yet we have never expected that today's South China sea issue has become an obstacle for the exchanges between the people in these two  nations and the biggest destabilizing factor for Sino-Philippine relations.

For Chinese young people, the issue of the South China Sea is an unexpected trouble, and also an incident easily  resolved. Whether  referring to the “reasons”in international law, or considering the “emotion”of hard-working tradition of all nations, the South China Sea should be a sacred and inalienable part of Chinese territory. When noticing the maps in some countries with colorful lines scribbling on this area , we are surprised at their ignorance of history. South China Sea issue shouldn’t be the problem which remains unresolved forever. The South China Sea issue can be easily solved as long as what should not be occupied is returned to its owner. You might believe that the current South China Sea countries, including the Philippines can change the status quo and even the future by the occupation of part of the Chinese reefs, but in fact it is not the case.

We know and understand well that among the Filipino, particularly the  youth, there pervades a fear of power and a desire to be strong. Although your country is on the Western South China Sea, sitting on the strategic location, you have a relatively small territory composed by sporadic lands, and your weapons and equipment is not so strong that it’s difficult for you to safeguard yourselves facing the complicated international situation changes. Youth in the Philippines, like us, have the expectation for the prosperity of their own country, and the need to seek for stabilization and free development. So the Filipino youth, when facing the rise of China - a large and seemingly unfriendly neighbor, showed a high level of vigilance and chose to stand together with a number of powerful powers beyond this region. We prefer to believe that this is led by the current politics, since we know that after all, politicians can bring the roar  of the engines at the garrison base, the weekly cruise of new forces around the reefs and the support and votes as surging stream. But keep in mind, this will not guarantee the Philippines a peaceful and stable future, not will it bring young people in the Philippines an easy life once and for all. After all, the lion is not dead, it is just in sound sleep.

We don’t want to dwell in history today, not to beat around the bush by overly focusing on military and suppressing China, we just want to look back to one of the most simple and plain fact - China can not choose the Philippines, the Philippines can not choose China. Madam Ambassador, have you and the young people in your country read Tsangyang Gyatso’s poems? China and the Philippines, though not a couple, but as he says, “you see me or not, I'll be there, not sad, not happy.”The locations of China and the Philippines actually exactly positioned for the development of the bilateral relations, determining the frequent exchanges between the two countries in the past thousands of years and their similar cultural and historical background. China and the Philippines are  neighbors across the sea with only a distance of one thousand kilometers. The current generation of Filipinos can choose the United States, Japan  or the International Tribunal in the Hague to help them confront China,  or even choose to build an iron curtain of distrust on the vast seas . But they can never remove the piece of the continent around 9.6 million square kilometers, just like the Chinese youth can not ignore this capricious neighbor. As the saying goes,nearby neighbors are better than distant relatives. With the rapid development of contemporary science and technology today, we are almost blinded by the swift internet, nearly forgetting the short distance between us. We always envy the distant prosperity, but forget the neighbors with goodwill.

Chinese Confucian master Feng Youlan defined four levels of life: natural level, utilitarian level, moral level, the level of heaven and earth.In fact, the bilateral relations is precisely the case. We should be aware that, when being faced with a problem like entangled hemp , we may try to climb to a new level. When generations of politicians in the Philippines are dealing with the South China Sea with a headache, regretting deeply for the ups and downs of bilateral relations, young people in the bilateral relations, as the key to the future,  have already begun to climb. They first crossed easily the natural level- a selfish, willful level which belongs only to the robbers. Youth in the Philippines are also well educated, knowing the simple truth that one should not grab what does not belong to him, and that it’s time for the workers drifting on the drilling platform of South China Sea to go home, or at least  negotiate  a settlement with the Chinese people. Next is the utilitarian level. We are well aware of the fact that the resources of the South China Sea is a treasure trove of development for the two countries, but how to explore is worth considering. China once suggested putting aside disputes and jointly developing - this is key to overcoming the utilitarian obstacle. We do not have to reach out for help outside the region, nor do we have to circumvent the problem  by a meaningless judgment, because China has never closed the door for dialogue. When we show goodwill to the people of the Philippines, what we expect is no doubt the friendly and cooperative response.

The third level--the moral level is the sublimation of the utilitarian level. When the two country cooperate on the basis of respecting China’s sovereignty, when the economic and trade interests can break the shackles of zero-sum game, the youth of the two nations will walk out of the utilitarian level and realize the harmonious development of the two which can bring inexhaustible treasure. Finally, we come to the level of heaven and earth. Although it is a wonderful situation that is hard for the young to foresee, we still want to depict a blueprint for it. South China Sea is the sea for trade and free sailing for thousands of years. When the ships of different countries pass by freely, when more and more lights sparkle the residents of the reefs and islands, we will greet a new era which breaks through international conflicts. The torch of “One Belt and One Road” will be transmitted to Manila and Mindanao Island; pigeons symbolizing peace and harmony will fly over Huangyan Island and Meiji reef.Young people of the two countries will learn about, utilize and cherish  the sea for the first time. And we will let the glory of the humanity light up the South China sea for the first time, rather than allowing the war clouds to envelop the dawn of the cooperation.

What a beautiful picture scroll! Yet it folds itself as it has just unfolded before us. Madam Ambassador, have you sighed for this wonderful dream when reading this? As the Chinese young people who are depicting this splendid view, we have the capacity and faith to cease hostilities and negotiate for peace. So far, the  judicial mallet in Hague hasn’t fallen down, and the presidential office in Manila hasn’t changed. Faced with a forked road in history, never are the government and the young people of your country so close to peace like this. We eagerly expect that, in ten or twenty years, when looking back this letter, the young people of the two countries-- then the mainstay of their respective society, are bathed in the glory described in it.

Best regards!

 

Yours sincerely,

Hebei University Of Technology    Wang Tiancheng

Henan University of Technology        Sheng Weiguo

Hangzhou Normal University                    Ye Zixi

Henan University             Dou  Zi’ang

Henan Institute of Science and  Technology        Huang HanboHenan University Of Urban  Construction       Zhao Yangyang

North China University Of Water Resources And Electric Power          Zhao Meng

Jiangsu University                       Qihua

Liaoning University          Liang Bo’wen

Nantong University           Lu Yuanyuan

Shijiazhuang University                  Huoxiang

China University Of  Geosciences(Beijing)                 Pang Zong

China University Of  Geosciences(Xuzhou)             Ma Qingwei

China University Of Petroleum  (East China)                     Li  Siyi

Zhejiang A & F University                  Chen Zhi

Zhengzhou University Of Light  Industry               Zhao Chao

Yun'nan University           Yang Chuang

Lanzhou University                  Yang Hui

Qinghai University                    Lan Jing

Xinjiang University          Huang Jingjing

Shihezi University                Zhang Ling

Xi'an International University           Zhang Kaiwen

Nanjing University Of  Aeronautics And Astronautics     Li Xiaoxi

Tianjin Vocational Institute                Zhou Yang

May the 28th，2016