Pentagon chief joins South-east Asian meet to shore up US ties In October 2025, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth arrived in Kuala Lumpur to attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), a pivotal annual gathering that brings together Southeast Asian defense ministers and major dialogue partners, including the US, China, Japan, India, Australia, and Russia. This…
US Missiles Stationed in Philippines Can Reach China A new phase of great-power competition is unfolding, not in the deep blue waters of the South China Sea, but on the rugged plains of Northern Luzon. The quiet arrival of America’s Typhon Mid-Range Capability missile system in 2024 marks the most significant strategic shift in U.S.-Philippine…
Two U.S. Navy aircraft crashing just 30 minutes apart in the South China Sea has become far more than an aviation mishap, it is now a flashpoint in one of the world’s most volatile regions. The back-to-back loss of a Sea Hawk helicopter and a Super Hornet from the USS Nimitz instantly raised alarms inside…
The Philippines is set to boost its maritime defense with France’s help. A new program for 40 patrol vessels shows Manila is no longer alone in the West Philippine Sea crisis. This deal with French shipbuilder OCEA goes beyond just getting boats. It strengthens a strategic partnership and shifts the Philippines’ maritime stance. As tensions…
China’s New Floating Barrier at Scarborough Shoal — A Renewed Flashpoint in the South China Sea The South China Sea has once again erupted into controversy, not with gunfire but with a new floating barrier that turned Scarborough Shoal into Asia’s latest flashpoint. Just 120 nautical miles from Luzon, this tiny atoll has become…
Why the Philippines Matters More Than Ever in the Taiwan Question For decades, the “Taiwan question” was seen through a familiar triangle: Washington, Tokyo, and Taipei — the principal players in any potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait. But in recent years, a quiet yet profound geopolitical shift has redrawn that map. The Philippines, once…
Which Defense Equipment Does the Philippines Need the Most? As tensions in the West Philippine Sea continue to rise, the question of which defense equipment the Philippines needs most has become more urgent than ever. With limited resources and an increasingly aggressive regional environment, Manila must focus on investments that deliver the greatest deterrent power…
Can the Philippines and China Ease South China Sea Tensions? The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most combustible maritime flashpoints, and nowhere is this tension more visible than between the Philippines and China. The dispute is not only about fishing rights, rocks, and reefs—it is a clash of sovereignty, national identity, and…
In a dramatic escalation that could reshape the Indo-Pacific security landscape, China deployed buoys, security officers, and J-16 fighter jets over Scarborough Shoal on October 17, 2025—right in the middle of Philippine military exercises in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has confirmed the placement of at least two new Chinese buoys in and around the shoal, backed by large patrol vessels CCG-101 and CCG-301, with a People’s Liberation…
Introduction: The One-Sided Water Wars of the West Philippine Sea The West Philippine Sea has become a battleground of asymmetry, where China’s hulking coast guard ships—some displacing 10,000 tons—routinely bully, ram, and blast smaller Philippine vessels with high-pressure water cannons. The latest escalation, on October 12, 2025, near Thitu Island (Pag-asa), saw the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Bow No. 21559 firing water cannons at the Philippine fisheries ship…
