Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” capturing the essence of a paradoxical existence. However, for the nation nestled between geopolitical complexities and internal strife, Myanmar’s location serves as a crucible where the season of springs perpetually seems like a distant dream. Navigating the labyrinth of…
In a historical parallel, the tensions in the South China Sea evoke memories of the Cold War era, where geopolitical rivalries often played out in disputed regions. One notable instance occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 when the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a high-stakes standoff over Soviet ballistic missiles…
In 2023, the South China Sea witnessed escalating tensions involving China, the Philippines, and the neighboring nations involving maritime disputes and territorial sovereignty. The Philippines and the United States, through strategic actions, diplomatic engagements, and joint military exercises, maintained regional balance, while a historic visit by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the Philippines along…
On October 22, 2023, the Philippines and China engaged in a blame game following two separate collisions in the disputed South China Sea. The incidents occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal in the hotly contested Spratly Islands, where China often deploys vessels to assert its territorial claims. In accordance with the declaration of the Philippine…
Militarization of the South China Sea The South China Sea has drawn the attention of global powers for decades. Given that this region lies at the heart of crucial global trade routes, this attention is unsurprising. Seventy to eighty percent of global trade activities take place via waterways. Of this, sixty percent of maritime shipments…
In October, Manila will host a yearly joint military exercise with the US. The exercises are set to take place at the beginning of October at Luzon. Lt. Ielto, the spokesperson for the Philippine military, informed the press. The exercises will encompass the core principles of anti-submarine, anti-surface, anti-air, and electronic warfare. Naval fleets from…
Geopolitical Significance of the South China Sea The South China Sea has long stood as a crossroads of geopolitics, weaving together a tapestry of histories, economies, and naval prowess. With time, this vast expanse of water has evolved from merely a geographical entity to a theater of intricate geopolitical maneuvers, emblematic of the jostle for…
The South China Sea, historically a hotspot for territorial conflicts, has witnessed another flashpoint. The Philippines undertook a daring “special operation” to remove a floating barrier near the Scarborough Shoal. This crucial fishing spot, around 200 kilometers from the Philippines, has frequently seen tensions rise over sovereignty and fishing rights. The directive to eliminate the…
