Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has basked in an outpouring of respect and appreciation in Washington this week. He was feted by U.S. President Joe Biden at a state dinner at the White House. The event was attended by a host of celebrities, such as Robert de Niro, as well as top brass from the … Read more
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday denied the existence of a “gentleman’s agreement” between his predecessor and the Chinese government that Manila would not make repairs to a military outpost on a contested shoal in the South China Sea. Last week, Harry Roque, who served as Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential spokesperson, told the media that Duterte … Read more
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is on an official state visit to the United States with a firm eye on underscoring the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance in Asia. Kishida’s trip marks the first state visit by a Japanese leader to the U.S. in nine years. Kishida is expected to move forward with joint economic … Read more
Few weeks are as historic in the shared history of Japan, the Philippines, and the United States as this one. The focus this week will be on these countries’ three leaders — Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. — and their summit in Washington. But … Read more
On April 11, U.S. President Joe Biden will host the inaugural Japan-Philippines-U.S. trilateral summit at the White House. In this engagement, Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will “advance a trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties… and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” according … Read more
President Joe Biden will China about its recent aggressive activity in the South China Sea when he meets later this week with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Washington, according to a report in the Financial Times. According to the report, which cited two senior U.S. officials with knowledge … Read more
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte allegedly made a “gentleman’s agreement” with the Chinese government for handling tensions in the South China Sea. Harry Roque, who served as Duterte’s presidential spokesperson, told the media this week that Duterte enjoined the Chinese government to observe the status quo in the disputed waters, which meant there would be … Read more
The recent escalations at the Second Thomas Shoal, a maritime area caught between the sovereignty claims of China and the Philippines, bring to the forefront the longstanding complexities of South China Sea territorial disputes. This focal point of regional contention, lying within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) yet claimed by China as part of … Read more
The Philippine Department of National Defense recently announced the adoption of a new defense concept, the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC). This is a welcome development for those who have been advocating for a paradigm shift in the country’s defense strategy. While conversations about the shift from an internal security focus to a more outward … Read more
The Philippines is set to launch joint naval patrols in the South China Sea with Japan and the United States later this year, in a bid to counter China’s increasingly assertive behavior in disputed waters. The news was reported on Friday by the U.S.-based outlet Politico, which cited “a U.S. official and a foreign diplomat … Read more