Guam, the United States’ westernmost territory, is fast becoming one of the most important pieces on the Indo-Pacific chessboard. Its position, about 1,600 miles east of Manila and 1,700 miles south of Tokyo, places it close enough to key Asian flashpoints for rapid action, yet far enough to provide a defensive cushion from the immediate…
The Philippines is raising its voice like never before, urging the world to stop what it calls China’s “seizure” of the South China Sea. The South China Sea is one of the planet’s busiest economic lifelines, carrying an estimated US $3.36 trillion in trade every year, which explains why both Manila and Beijing see it…
A silent, unseen leviathan is now gliding through some of the world’s most hotly contested waters, as the United States deploys a nuclear-powered attack submarine to the South China Sea to “preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.” In truth, this is a calculated show of force, a deliberate signal to Beijing challenging its sweeping “nine-dash”…
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is betting that flooding the Philippines with cutting-edge American weapons and security assistance is the surest way to stop Beijing’s creeping expansion in the South China Sea. His proposed “flood” strategy is an ambitious, multi-layered plan to rapidly arm and equip the Philippines, giving Manila the capacity to enforce its sovereignty…
The Panatag Shoal dispute is a microcosm of the larger geopolitical contest for the South China Sea. Known locally as Bajo de Masinloc and in China as Huangyan Island, this triangle-shaped coral atoll is not just a fishing ground, it is a test case for sovereignty, international law, and great-power rivalry. At the heart of…
Thousands of Filipinos came to streets on Sunday in what has become one of the country’s largest protests in recent years, rallying against a massive corruption scandal that has rocked the government. The controversy centers on more than ₱545 billion in public funds earmarked for flood-control projects—many of which were allegedly substandard or never built…
The South China Sea just witnessed one of its most dramatic and lopsided standoffs yet. In what’s now called the “22 Chinese Ships vs. Alone a Wolf” incident, a lone Philippine Navy vessel was surrounded and harassed by 22 Chinese ships near Scarborough Shoal, an area deep inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The…
Just weeks after the September 2025 collision near Scarborough Shoal, three Chinese warships have now entered Philippine waters, setting off alarm bells in Manila and Washington. The latest incursion of three Chinese warships into Philippine waters did not happen in a vacuum. The Philippine government has reacted swiftly and forcefully to the presence of Chinese…
Just days ago, China officially urged the Philippines to stop “provocations” around Huangyan Island after what Beijing calls a dangerous new incursion. The geostrategic significance of Bajo de Masinloc is impossible to overstate. The Philippines’ position on the shoal is firmly anchored in international law and reinforced by diplomacy, on-the-water action, and stronger security ties….
The South China Sea has entered a dangerous new phase as great-power rivalry collides with long-running territorial disputes. In mid-September 2025 the United States, Japan, and the Philippines carried out joint maritime exercises inside Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone to demonstrate unity and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Within hours, China’s Southern Theater…
