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
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
Magazine Despite being repeatedly let down by its sole treaty ally, the Philippines has persisted in preserving its territorial claims and sovereign rights in the hotly-contested body of water. A Chinese coast guard boat moves near the Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 (in green) after it was hit by their water canon blast causing … 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
The Philippine president said Thursday that his government would take action against what he called dangerous attacks by the Chinese coast guard and suspected militia ships in the disputed South China Sea, saying “Filipinos do not yield.” Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not provide details of the actions his government would take in the succeeding weeks … 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
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored Washington’s “ironclad commitment” Tuesday to help defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack against its forces after clashes between Chinese and Filipino coast guards in the disputed South China Sea recently turned more hostile. Blinken, the latest high-level official to visit the United States treaty ally, … Read more
U.S. President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a summit in Washington on April 11, the White House has announced. In a statement to the press yesterday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that leaders “will discuss trilateral cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth and … Read more