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Philippines–Soviet Union relations refers to the former bilateral ties between the Republic of the Philippines and the now-defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries were hindered by mutual distrust between them, with the Philippines being a key ally of the United States, the Soviet Union's main rival in the Cold War. Anti-communist sentiment among many Filipinos was also an obstacle.^[1]

Overview

Since 1967, the Philippines had become more active in improving ties with Eastern Bloc countries. Even as the Philippines began to soften its ties with the Soviet Union and its allies, it remained cautious and suspicious toward the Soviet Union approaching the union with a "backwards-forward" style of diplomacy. The Philippines was wary of the Soviet Union because of ideological differences and past links to underground movements.^[2]

The Soviet Union also mistrusted the Philippines because of its strong ties with the United States. Any development that would lead towards the erosion of the ties between the Philippines and the United States was welcomed by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union itself admitted that those developments would be limited.^[2]

History

It was 20 years after the formation of the Soviet Union before the Philippines consider establishing ties between the two countries. Salvador P. Lopez proposed a review of relations with the Soviet Union and its allies, reduced dependence on the United States and an Asian policy that would take into account China's emergence as a power of Asia. The administration of Diosdado Macapagal rejected these proposals.^[3]

During the presidency of Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos, relations between the Philippines and the Soviet Union reached their peak. In a Foreign Policy statement released in January 1967, Marcos acknowledged the need to pursue the establishment of Philippine ties with the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China^[4] more vigorously. Also in the same month, Foreign Affairs secretary Narciso Ramos spoke of possible relaxation on the ban against trading with socialist states.^[5] As part of Marcos' foreign policy, the Philippines sent missions to the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, East Germany and Bulgaria. Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 2, 1976.^[2]^[6]

Economic ties

The Soviet Union composed of one to two per cent of the Philippines' total trade. The two states granted each other most favoured nation status on customs duties, internal taxes and the issuance of import and export taxes.^[7]

The most exported products from the Philippines were food products, manufactured goods and alcohol products such as beer, rum and gin, while the Soviet Union exported industrial equipment, minerals, tools, machinery, coal and oil to the Philippines.^[2]

During the 1972–1984 period the Philippines recorded a favourable balance of trade with the Soviet Union, but from 1985 onwards the Philippines exports of traditional products to the Soviet Union were insufficient.^[2]

A feasibility study was conducted in 1982 as part of a joint venture of the Philippines and the Soviet Union to construct a one million ton per year cement plant. It would significantly add to the current annual output level of four to four and a half million tons of cement the Philippines exported. The project was discontinued because of financial constraints. It would have been the first Soviet industrial project in the Philippines.^[2]

Factors affecting bilateral relations

The Philippines has long been plagued by poverty and agrarian issues, which led to the rise of the country's communist and secessionist movements. The Philippines is a Catholic majority nation which is an important factor. The Catholic Church is opposed to Communism which it associates with atheism, violence and dictatorship.^[2] The Philippine government was also hostile to atheists, and up until 1986 atheism was a crime punishable by 10 years in jail.^[2] The United States and Japan's economic aid to Southeast Asian nations, complicates relations. The Red Scare and the intensified insurgency made the Filipinos suspicious towards the Soviet Union.^[1]

The Soviet Union remained distrustful of the Philippines because of its ties with the United States. The Philippines had assisted the United States in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Soviet Union had been involved in both wars.

Alleged Soviet sponsored terrorism

Reports of the New People's Army and radical labour groups being sponsored by the Soviet Union circulated.^[8] The Philippine Senate urged an investigation of Soviet aid to labour groups and insurgents, and the sighting of submarines allegedly belonging to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Ambassador to Manila, Vadim Shabalin, denied Soviet involvement and such allegations were "flagrantly distorting" to the Soviet Union's foreign policy towards the Philippines.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Asiaweek, 10 August 1986
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Thambipillai, Pushpa, and Daniel Mutuszewski ed. The Soviet Union and the Asia-Pacific Region: Views from the Region. New York: Praeger Publishing, 1989.
^ Salvador Lopez, New Directions in Philippine Foreign Policy (Quezon City: U.P. Law Center 1975), 18.
^ Manila Times, 25 January 1967, 22A
^ Benjamin Domingo, The Making of Filipino Foreign Policy (Manila, Foreign Service Institute, 1983), 224.
^ "Embassy of the Russia Federation to the Republic of Philippines". Philippines.mid.ru. Archived from the original on 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
^ Brillante, 135-140
^ Manila Bulletin, 11, 15–16 July 1987.

[Asiaweek-1] Asiaweek, 10 August 1986

[ussr-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Thambipillai, Pushpa, and Daniel Mutuszewski ed. The Soviet Union and the Asia-Pacific Region: Views from the Region. New York: Praeger Publishing, 1989.

[lopez-3] Salvador Lopez, New Directions in Philippine Foreign Policy (Quezon City: U.P. Law Center 1975), 18.

[4] Manila Times, 25 January 1967, 22A

[5] Benjamin Domingo, The Making of Filipino Foreign Policy (Manila, Foreign Service Institute, 1983), 224.

[6] "Embassy of the Russia Federation to the Republic of Philippines". Philippines.mid.ru. Archived from the original on 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2013-09-04.

[7] Brillante, 135-140

[8] Manila Bulletin, 11, 15–16 July 1987.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{citation style|date=June 2012}}
-{{tense|date=June 2012}}
-{{bilateral|Philippines–Soviet Union|Philippines|Soviet Union|filetype=svg}}
-The '''Philippines–Soviet Union''' relations refers to the bilateral ties between the [[Republic of the Philippines]] and former [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]].
+{{bilateral|Philippines–Soviet Union|Philippines|flagvariant1=1986|Soviet Union|filetype=svg}}
+'''Philippines–Soviet Union''' relations refers to the former bilateral ties between the [[Republic of the Philippines]] and the now-defunct [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]].
-Efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries faced many obstacles. There was mutual distrust between the two countries, with the Philippines being a key ally of the [[United States]], the Soviet Union's main rival in the [[Cold War]]. [[Anti-communism|Anti-communist sentiment]] among many Filipinos and was also an obstacle.<ref name=Asiaweek>Asiaweek, 10 August 1986</ref>
+Efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries were hindered by mutual distrust between them, with the Philippines being a key ally of the [[United States]], the Soviet Union's main rival in the [[Cold War]]. [[Anti-communism|Anti-communist sentiment]] among many Filipinos was also an obstacle.<ref name=Asiaweek>Asiaweek, 10 August 1986</ref>
 == Overview ==
-Since 1967, [[the Philippines]] became more active with improving ties with the [[Eastern bloc]] countries. Even as the Philippines began softening ties with the [[Soviet Union]] and its allies, the Philippines remained cautious and suspicious toward the Soviet Union approaching the union with a "backward-forward" style of diplomacy. The Philippines has been wary to the Soviet Union due to ideological differences and past links to underground movements.<ref name=ussr>Thambipillai, Pushpa, and Daniel Mutuszewski ed. The Soviet Union and the Asia-Pacific Region: Views from the Region. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1989.</ref>
+Since 1967, the [[Philippines]] had become more active in improving ties with [[Eastern Bloc]] countries. Even as the Philippines began to soften its ties with the [[Soviet Union]] and its allies, it remained cautious and suspicious toward the Soviet Union approaching the union with a "backwards-forward" style of diplomacy. The Philippines was wary of the Soviet Union because of ideological differences and past links to underground movements.<ref name=ussr>Thambipillai, Pushpa, and Daniel Mutuszewski ed. ''The Soviet Union and the Asia-Pacific Region: Views from the Region''. New York: [[Praeger Publishing]], 1989.</ref>
-The Soviet Union, also shows mistrust towards the Philippines due to the its strong ties with the United States. Any development that would lead towards the eroding of the ties between the Philippines and the [[United States]] would be welcomed by the union, but the Soviet Union itself admitted that those developments would be limited.<ref name=ussr></ref>
+The Soviet Union also mistrusted the Philippines because of its strong ties with the United States. Any development that would lead towards the erosion of the ties between the Philippines and the [[United States]] was welcomed by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union itself admitted that those developments would be limited.<ref name=ussr />
 == History ==
-It took 20 years after the formation of the Soviet Union would the Philippines consider to establish ties with the former. Salvador Lopez proposed a review of relations with the Soviet Union and its allies, reduce dependence on the United States and an Asian policy that would take account China's emergence as a power of Asia. The administration of [[Diosdado Macapagal]] rejected the proposals.<ref name=lopez>Salvador Lopez, New Directions in Philippine Foreign Policy (Quezon City:U.P. Law Center 1975), 18.</ref>
+It was 20 years after the formation of the Soviet Union before the Philippines consider establishing ties between the two countries. [[Salvador P. Lopez]] proposed a review of relations with the Soviet Union and its allies, reduced dependence on the United States and an Asian policy that would take into account China's emergence as a power of Asia. The administration of [[Diosdado Macapagal]] rejected these proposals.<ref name=lopez>Salvador Lopez, ''New Directions in Philippine Foreign Policy'' (Quezon City: U.P. Law Center 1975), 18.</ref>
-It was during the presidency of Filipino president Ferdinand Marcos, that the relations between the Philippines and the Soviet Union reached its peak. In a Foreign Policy statement released in January 1967, Marcos acknowledged the need to pursue more vigorously for establishment of Philippine ties with the Soviet Union and the [[People's Republic of China]].<ref>Manila Times, 25 January 1967, 22A</ref> Also in the same month, Foreign Affairs secretary [[Narciso Ramos]] spoke of possible relaxation on the ban against trading with socialist states.<ref>Benjamin Domingo, The Making of Filipino Foreign Policy (Manila, Foreign Service Institute, 1983), 224.</ref> As part of Marcos' foreign policy, the Philippines sent missions to the Soviet Union, [[Poland]], [[Czechoslovakia]], [[Romania]], [[Eastern Germany]] and [[Bulgaria]].
+During the presidency of Filipino President [[Ferdinand Marcos]], relations between the Philippines and the Soviet Union reached their peak. In a Foreign Policy statement released in January 1967, Marcos acknowledged the need to pursue the establishment of Philippine ties with the Soviet Union and the [[People's Republic of China]]<ref>Manila Times, 25 January 1967, 22A</ref> more vigorously. Also in the same month, Foreign Affairs secretary [[Narciso Ramos]] spoke of possible relaxation on the ban against trading with socialist states.<ref>Benjamin Domingo, ''The Making of Filipino Foreign Policy'' (Manila, Foreign Service Institute, 1983), 224.</ref> As part of Marcos' foreign policy, the Philippines sent missions to the Soviet Union, [[Poland]], [[Czechoslovakia]], [[Romania]], [[East Germany]] and [[Bulgaria]].
-Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries was established on June 2 1976.<ref name=ussr></ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.philippines.mid.ru/relations.html |title=Embassy of the Russia Federation to the Republic of Philippines |publisher=Philippines.mid.ru |date= |accessdate=2013-09-04}}</ref>
+Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June&nbsp;2, 1976.<ref name=ussr /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.philippines.mid.ru/relations.html |title=Embassy of the Russia Federation to the Republic of Philippines |publisher=Philippines.mid.ru |access-date=2013-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915044442/http://www.philippines.mid.ru/relations.html |archive-date=2013-09-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 == Economic ties ==
-The Soviet Union composed of 1–2 percent of the Philippines total trade. The two states granted each other [[most favored nation]] status on custom duties, internal taxes and the issuance of import and export taxes.<ref>Brillante, 135-140</ref>
+The Soviet Union composed of one to two per cent of the Philippines' total trade. The two states granted each other [[most favoured nation]] status on customs duties, internal taxes and the issuance of import and export taxes.<ref>Brillante, 135-140</ref>
-The most exported products of the Philippines are food products, manufactured goods and alcohol products such as [[beer]], [[rum]] and [[gin]] while the Soviet Union exports industrial equipment, minerals, tools, machinery, coal and oil to the Philippines.<ref name=ussr></ref>
+The most exported products from the Philippines were food products, manufactured goods and alcohol products such as [[beer]], [[rum]] and [[gin]], while the Soviet Union exported industrial equipment, minerals, tools, machinery, coal and oil to the Philippines.<ref name=ussr />
-During the 1972–1984 period the Philippines recorded a favorable balance of trade with the Soviet Union but in 1985 onwards the Philippines exports of traditional products to the Soviet Union was insufficient.<ref name=ussr></ref>
+During the 1972–1984 period the Philippines recorded a favourable balance of trade with the Soviet Union, but from 1985 onwards the Philippines exports of traditional products to the Soviet Union were insufficient.<ref name=ussr />
-A feasibility study was conducted in 1982 as part of a joint venture of the Philippines and the Soviet Union for the construction of a 1 million ton per year cement plant that would significantly add to the current annual output level of 4 to 4.5 million tons enabling the Philippines to export cement. The project was discontinued due to financial constraint. It would have been the first Soviet industrial project in the Philippines.<ref name=ussr></ref>
+A feasibility study was conducted in 1982 as part of a joint venture of the Philippines and the Soviet Union to construct a one million ton per year cement plant. It would significantly add to the current annual output level of four to four and a half million tons of cement the Philippines exported. The project was discontinued because of financial constraints. It would have been the first Soviet industrial project in the Philippines.<ref name=ussr />
 == Factors affecting bilateral relations ==
-The Philippines has long been plagued by poverty and agrarian issues which caused the rise of communist and secessionist movements in the country. The Philippines is a [[Catholic]] majority nation which is an important factor because the Catholic Church is against [[Communism]] which associates it to [[atheism]], [[violence]] and [[dictatorship]].<ref name=ussr></ref> The United States and [[Japan]]'s economic aid to Southeast Asian nations, complicates relations. The [[Red Scare]] and the intensified  insurgency made the Filipinos suspicious towards the Soviet Union.<ref name=Asiaweek></ref>
+The Philippines has long been plagued by poverty and agrarian issues, which led to the rise of the country's communist and secessionist movements. The Philippines is a [[Catholic]] majority nation which is an important factor. The Catholic Church is opposed to [[Communism]] which it associates with [[atheism]], [[violence]] and [[dictatorship]].<ref name=ussr /> The Philippine government was also hostile to atheists, and up until 1986 atheism was a crime punishable by 10 years in jail.<ref name=ussr /> The United States and [[Japan]]'s economic aid to Southeast Asian nations, complicates relations. The [[Red Scare]] and the intensified insurgency made the Filipinos suspicious towards the Soviet Union.<ref name=Asiaweek />
-The Soviet Union remains distrustful of the Philippines due to its ties with the United States, with the Philippines assisting the United States in both the [[Korean War]] and the [[Vietnam War]] which the Soviet Union was involved to.
+The Soviet Union remained distrustful of the Philippines because of its ties with the United States. The Philippines had assisted the United States in both the [[Korean War]] and the [[Vietnam War]]. The Soviet Union had been involved in both wars.
 === Alleged Soviet sponsored  terrorism===
-Reports of the [[New People's Army]] and radical labour groups being sponsored by the Soviet Union circulated.<ref>Manila Bulletin, 11, 15-16 July 1987.</ref> The Philippine Senate urged an investigation of Soviet aid to labour groups and insurgents, and the sighting of submarines allegedly belonging to the Soviet Union. Soviet Ambassador based in [[Manila]], Vadim Shabalin denied Soviet involvement and such allegations were "flagrantly distorting" to the Soviet Union's foreign policy towards the Philippines.<ref name=ussr></ref>
+Reports of the [[New People's Army]] and radical labour groups being sponsored by the Soviet Union circulated.<ref>''Manila Bulletin'', 11, 15–16 July 1987.</ref> The Philippine Senate urged an investigation of Soviet aid to labour groups and insurgents, and the sighting of submarines allegedly belonging to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Ambassador to [[Manila]], Vadim Shabalin, denied Soviet involvement and such allegations were "flagrantly distorting" to the Soviet Union's foreign policy towards the Philippines.<ref name=ussr />
+== See also ==
 {{Portal|Philippines|Soviet Union}}
+* [[Philippines–Russia relations]]
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
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 {{Foreign relations of the Soviet Union}}
-[[Category:Bilateral relations of the Philippines|Soviet Union]]
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Philippines-Soviet Union relations}}
-[[Category:Bilateral relations of the Soviet Union]]
+[[Category: Bilateral relations of the Philippines|Soviet Union]]
+[[Category: Bilateral relations of the Soviet Union]]