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
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
Chinese vessels have again blocked and fired water cannons at a Philippine supply ship close to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing “heavy damage” to the wooden vessel and injuries to several of its crew, according to the Philippine government. In a series of social media posts on Saturday, the Armed Forces … Read more
The recent state visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Hanoi was the latest sign of the growing strategic convergence between the Philippines and Vietnam regarding maritime security and the South China Sea. Building on a range of past efforts, both leaders confirmed an agreement on coast guard cooperation and a future bilateral code … Read more
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week to discuss cooperation and security matters amid continuing tensions in the South China Sea. In a statement issued last night, Marcos’ office said that the meeting would discuss the strengthening of defense and economic ties between the … Read more
Chinese and Philippine vessels have once again collided in a contested part of the South China Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said today, as maritime disputes dominated discussions at a regional summit in Australia. PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the collision occurred during a routine “rotation and reprovisioning,” or RoRe operation designed to support … Read more
Manila’s transparency strategy needs to go beyond “name and shame” campaigns.
Earlier this week, a senior official of the Philippine Navy announced that it had deployed a warship off the waters of Palawan Island, its westernmost island, in order to “protect its maritime interests,” at a time of frequent stand-offs with Chinese vessels in the South China Sea. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Commodore Edward … Read more