I WATCHED on Netflix the movie ‘Munich the Edge of War’ starring multi-awarded actor Jeremy Irons.

Juxtaposing the clip with the on-going tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) was quite tempting.

The movie is all about the mood of the people in Britain and Germany just before the outbreak of World War II.

At that time, Germany, already a powerful nation, was starting to get noticed by the world as it began expanding its territories aggressively without strong opposition.

After taking Austria, Germany set its eyes on Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia, sending Britain and the rest of free Europe into anxiety.

Despite this however, many — including the Englishmen led by former British Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain — were oblivious on Hitler’s real objective.

Unknown even to the ordinary Germans, the Nazi leader was going to invade the entire Europe.

But Chamberlain was so naive into believing that Hitler’s greed for territories would stop in Sudetenland that he signed the Munich Agreement in 1938.

The deal, also inked by Germany, France and Italy, provided the annexation of Sudetenland to Germany on the condition that Hitler would no longer conquer other neighboring countries.

But as history showed, Hitler continued his evil plan and through blitzkrieg successfully captivated other nations including France.

Britain could have been captured as well had the United States refused to join the Second World War.

More than 80 years later, China, which has tremendously improved economically and militarily throughout the decades, is also starting to get global attention.

This is because of the communist state’s growing assertiveness in the Spratly Islands, portions of which are also claimed by its neighbors.

China has taken control of the Johnson South Reef after defeating Vietnam in a brief skirmish over the sea territory in 1988.

A few years ago, China occupied the Scarborough Shoal and Recto Bank – both are within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines –to the great dismay of the Filipinos.

China is now even eyeing the Ayungin Shoal – also covered by the Philippine’s EEZ — despite the presence of Filipino soldiers.

The Chinese government assured other Spratly claimants of its commitment to regional peace and stability and unhampered conduct of commerce at sea.

At the same time however, China is strictly enforcing its overly ridiculous 10-dash line that violates the sovereignty of smaller nations in the region.

Unrecognized by the world, the imaginary Chinese demarcation line serves as the root cause of dangerous incidents in WPS that could trigger a crisis or even war.

Experts say China’s recent aggressive moves – blocking and water cannoning of Philippine vessels — in the disputed waters are indications of the country’s expansionist thrust.

Fortunately, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is clearly reading the signs and taking steps to address the threat.

The government recently started building up the Philippines’ military capability at land, sea, and air while forging alliances with friendly nations led by the United States.

With China’s bullying caught in the act, the Philippines is winning the support of the community of nations pushing for genuine regional stability and rules-based international order.

The Philippine leader, using gut and wits, has found a strong leverage to effectively deal with a global nuisance.

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