If alarming excursions and intrusions by Chinese vessels into undisputed Philippine waters is making it harder to figure out China’s intentions, the more necessary it is we remain calm.

Of these recent alarming excursions, first to happen was when two Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels ventured up to 34 nautical miles from the coast of Bolinao, Pangasinan. The CCG patrol was the closest recorded approach by Chinese vessels to the Philippine mainland.

After a standoff with our coast guard vessels, the Chinese vessels have since gone farther away from our shores but not before leaving some puzzling questions on why the Chinese came so close.

In a hopeful answer, Filipino maritime expert Jay Batongbacal says China may be now aiming to deplete our resources by sending coast guard patrols closer to our shores.

Meanwhile, Defense and military officials see the excursion as some sort of diversionary tactic from official moves against Chinese intelligence agents.

Hot on the heels of the first incident came the blatant disregard of standard maritime protocols by three Chinese warships, including a guided missile frigate, during their passage through the country’s archipelagic waters from 10 to 4 February.

As of press time, China has yet to officially comment on why her warships displayed such arrogance, which saw a Philippine frigate escort the three warships’ passage in the Sulu Sea.

Admittedly both incidents are nerve-wracking and all too often pictured us as helpless.

We, however, can put those fears in a positive context once we realize both incidents are but China’ continuing efforts at trying to impress us with displays of the might of her power.

Which, if one looks closely enough, only means China has a crying need to keep on displaying her intimidating power.

Why then does China need to display her overwhelming power before us? It is because in politics the display of power is a source of power.

The English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who virtually invented the theory of the modern state, once famously said that “reputation of power is power.”

And power, Hobbes added “is like to fame, increasing as it proceeds.”

As such, in our present tensions with China it means we have no choice but steel ourselves against China inevitably putting on more displays of her power in order to assert whatever she wants hereabouts.

It is also particularly inevitable because we plucky Filipinos have constantly and relentlessly,whenever and wherever possible, are depriving China’s exercise of her “reputation of power.”

(The latest instance of ethat strategic deprivation of power was the recent holding of joint air patrols by the Philippine and the US air forces over the disputed Panatag Shoal, involving two Filipino fighter jets and two American bombers.

The patrol angered China that China’s military accused us of joining patrols it said were organized by foreign countries to “undermine peace and order in the South China Sea.”)

Surprisingly enough, we and our allies so far are succeeding in depriving China’s “reputation of power” and without even actually provoking outright hostilities with her.

So much so China, together with her Filipino enablers, is failing to convince most of us Filipinos and the rest of the world that her repeated public declarations that she holds indisputable power over the whole South China Sea is inherently a done deal.

Of course, there are risks if we overplay our hand.

But that shouldn’t mean we, powerless and outgunned though we are, cease poking and prickling the Asian behemoth in various ways which will eventually cost her “reputation of power” that she ends up seriously respecting us once a negotiated settlement of the issues we have with her is reached.