A Warm Welcome for Japan’s Kishida in Washington

A Warm Welcome for Japan’s Kishida in Washington

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 Denies Secret Agreement On South China Sea

Philippine President Denies Secret Agreement On South China Sea

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

Biden to Warn China on South China Sea, Report Claims

Philippine President Vows to Defend Territory After Latest Maritime Clash

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

Steadying the Waters: Navigating the Tensions at Second Thomas Shoal

Steadying the Waters: Navigating the Tensions at Second Thomas Shoal

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

A Paradigm Shift in the Philippines’ Defense Strategy

A Paradigm Shift in the Philippines’ Defense Strategy

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

Philippines to Hold Joint Maritime Patrols With US, Japan

Philippines to Hold Joint Maritime Patrols With US, Japan

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

Philippine President Warns of Countermeasures in Response to Chinese Aggression at Sea

Philippine President Warns of Countermeasures in Response to Chinese Aggression at Sea

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

China Coast Guard Again Damages Philippine Boat Near Disputed Shoal

China Coast Guard Again Damages Philippine Boat Near Disputed Shoal

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

Does Vietnam-Philippines Maritime Cooperation Offer a Template for the Region?

Does Vietnam-Philippines Maritime Cooperation Offer a Template for the Region?

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

Blinken Underscores ‘Ironclad’ Support for the Philippines as It Clashes With China in Disputed Sea

Blinken Underscores ‘Ironclad’ Support for the Philippines as It Clashes With China in Disputed Sea

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