Filipinos doubt US reliability as Marcos deescalates
The near-fatal showdown between Chinese and Philippine maritime forces in the South China Sea last week raised fears of unwanted escalation in the disputed waters.
Second Thomas Shoal asian news
China keeps pressure on Philippines despite US ally
This year’s annual Balikatan joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States (April 22-May 10) broke much new ground. So did China’s response to it. The exercise areas and the arms deployed showed the linkage of South China Sea and Taiwan Strait hotspots. A surge in Chinese vessel presence in Manila’s western exclusive economic zone and another violent sea incident over a contested reef expose Beijing’s defiance amid the alliance’s show of force. The display of strength and the reaction to it escalated tensions in choppy waters and raised questions about the drill’s deterrent value. The symbolism and messages show how parties are digging in, accepting more risk and shrinking the space for diplomacy.
Japan and US need to up their game in the Senkakus
When the People’s Republic of China wants something that belongs to someone else, it is persistent and pushes to get what it wants. And it’s willing to use force if necessary. Japan knows the feeling, when it comes to its Senkaku Islands at the southern end of the Ryukyu chain. They are closer to Shanghai than to Tokyo. The PRC claims the islands as its own – referring to them as the Diaoyu Islands.
US reputation on the line at Second Thomas Shoal
Taiwan, Ukraine and Gaza get most of the attention these days. But the United States’ reputation as a reliable ally is nowhere more at stake than in the Philippines. And that reputation is on the verge of going down the drain.
No breakthrough, no breakdown at Shangri-La
MANILA – Rising tensions between China and US allies in Asia set the tone for this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a defense talk shop that brought together defense officials and policy experts from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
China-Philippines near full diplomatic collapse at sea
MANILA – Escalating disputes in the South China Sea are entering a perilous new phase with the virtual breakdown in Philippine-China communication channels amid contradictory accounts of diplomatic negotiations aimed at preventing an armed conflict.
When will US come to the Philippines defense?
MANILA – China and the Philippines are edging dangerously toward armed conflict in the contested South China Sea, a potential clash that could quickly escalate into a US-China conflict in the world’s most vital seascape.
Philippines arms up a two-front pushback on China
MANILA – This week, the Philippines and United States kicked off their largest-ever and most consequential joint Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) war games featuring as many as 16,000 troops including 11,000 American servicemen.
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