China Archives - Indo Pacific Report

Japan–Philippines Security Ties Deepens as Manila Seeks More TC-90 Patrol Aircraft and Retired Abukuma Destroyers

indopacificreport2 weeks ago2 weeks ago026 mins

The Japan–Philippines security axis is accelerating faster than any other defense partnership in the Indo-Pacific, and the latest development marks another leap forward. On November 26, 2025, Philippine Navy Chief Vice Adm. Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta confirmed that Manila is now seeking five additional retired TC-90 maritime patrol aircraft from Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, a…

Should Taiwan Expose Beijing’s Airspace and EEZ Violations — Like the Philippines Does in the South China Sea?

indopacificreport2 weeks ago2 weeks ago024 mins

Taiwan now stands at a decisive moment as Chinese pressure reaches historic highs across its skies and seas, raising a fundamental question with enormous strategic consequences: should Taipei expose Beijing’s airspace and EEZ violations the way the Philippines exposes coercion in the South China Sea? Chinese military activity has surged at a scale the world…

Can Japan and the Philippines Really Deter China?

indopacificreport2 weeks ago025 mins

For the first time in modern Asian geopolitics, Japan and the Philippines, two U.S. allies with very different histories and defense traditions, have entered a legally binding military pact that allows their troops, ships, and aircraft to operate on each other’s soil. It is a dramatic evolution, something almost unthinkable a decade ago, yet it…

Why the U.S. Wants Taiwan to Fund Philippines EDCA Military Bases?

indopacificreport3 weeks ago030 mins

Have you ever wondered who really shapes the future of the Indo-Pacific? Is it armies? Is it alliances? Or is it the quiet deals happening behind the scenes — the ones that never make the front page? Well, here’s a question that would have sounded impossible just a few years ago: Why would Taiwan —…

Philippine Air Force Receives 5 New Black Hawks in a Major Upgrade

indopacificreport3 weeks ago3 weeks ago034 mins

The Philippine Air Force has just received five new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, another major addition to a fleet that has grown rapidly in recent years. It’s a milestone, no doubt. But as these aircraft touched down on the tarmac, a larger question hung in the air: how far does this upgrade really take the…

Philippines Needs Submarines Now More Than Ever to Deter China

indopacificreport3 weeks ago3 weeks ago041 mins

The Philippines stands at the center of one of the world’s most contested maritime regions, yet it remains the only frontline state in the South China Sea without a single submarine. This absence is not a minor gap, it is a defining weakness in a moment when the country faces unprecedented pressure from an increasingly…

USFK’s “East-Up” Map Reveals New Strategic Triangle Linking Korea–Japan–Philippines

indopacificreport4 weeks ago032 mins

What if everything we thought we knew about Indo-Pacific strategy changes with a simple twist of a map? That’s the provocative idea behind U.S. Forces Korea’s adoption of the “east-up” map, a flipped geographic perspective that suddenly places South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines along a striking strategic axis. And according to the USFK Commander,…

Can South Korea, Japan, and Philippines Deter a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan?

indopacificreport4 weeks ago026 mins

What if China tried to cut off Taiwan’s sea lanes tomorrow—or even launched a full-scale invasion? Could Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines realistically stop Beijing, or would they be dragged into a high-stakes showdown with global consequences? The Taiwan Strait has become a powder keg: China is rapidly modernizing its navy, missile forces, and…

Why Indonesia Can’t Match the Philippines’ Transparency Initiative Against China?

indopacificreport1 month ago025 mins

The Philippines has shaken the entire Indo-Pacific security landscape with its unprecedented “transparency initiative,” a bold strategy that turns every Chinese gray-zone maneuver into a global spectacle. What were once quiet maritime confrontations, foggy reports of rammings, blocked resupply missions, and laser harassment, are now blasted across international media in real time. Manila has mastered…

Philippines & EU Strengthen Maritime Cooperation in Brussels Talks

indopacificreport1 month ago1 month ago028 mins

Can a small archipelagic nation and a continental union truly reshape the balance of maritime power in the Indo-Pacific? That question defined the latest round of Philippines–European Union (EU) talks in Brussels, a meeting that blended diplomacy, law, and shared conviction into a single message: the rule of law at sea still matters. At the…